Crystalline, Innocent
by TheDevimangel
Summary: Crain Dunavain is one of the Crystar, a race as new to the others in the galaxy as the humans. With their striking similarities, yet constant state of peace, will the crystar be able to keep to their ways? Will Crain stay as innocent as he was raised? And will he ever see that one recruit again? M!Shepard/OC. M for future violence, cursing, and Male pairing sensuality. More inside.
1. A New Beginning

Summary: At the time that humans had come into contact with alien life, a Mass Relay in the Cryst system, near the center of the galaxy, had been in the works of repair. The Council of Citadel Space reached out and sent a turian fleet to check out the new world, fearing another species like the humans. What they got was something… Crystalline.

Warning: This story will contain a new race introduced to the Citadel, and an original character will be one of the focal points. My race looks human with the few differences I describe along the way, if it helps. There will be lemons, and the original character is male. Do not like? Please do not read. Otherwise, I own nothing but the idea of the species, and behind the character. Bioware, regrettably, owns the game. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only unhappy one when it came to the ending. So, without further ado, let's make it better, yeah?

* * *

_Human Year 2172_

Crain had never been so, so… overwhelmed. The ship was priming to go, the crew was performing last minute checks, and the dignitaries were leaving for their cabins. His parents were joining the diplomatic meetings with the council, though he honestly couldn't understand why. All they told him was that he was coming with them.

He was going to the Citadel.

He didn't always get to go with them on their trips, but he didn't mind. His friends were always willing to play with him in their absence, and it's not like he couldn't just go outside and soak in the rays of the suns. He was all excited, but nervous. He had only ever caught glimpses of other alien diplomats coming through the halls, surrounded by their own kind with rather heavy looking clothing on. Who wears metal as a fashion accessory? It seemed awfully silly to him, but then again aliens were odd creatures.

He'd always loved the ships that his people made though. Crystarium ships always had a lustrous shine, made from metals treated with hyper-radiated crystal sap. Crain didn't know what that meant, only that they took the sweet smelling substance and did something to make it hard and shiny. The insides were all dull shades of steel and grey, and the cables running along the ceiling and floors didn't exactly entertain him. He got his own little room near his parents, his _sala_ and his _guata_.

Sala Jeordan Dunavain was a dignified crystarian, one of the few purebloods left. His hair was thrown wildly back, seeming to be a freeze frame of wind blowing through it heavily. His hair was black with the subtle undertones of his bloods true color, a vibrant blue that glowed with what everyone else called element zero, or eezo. His frame was fairly delicate for a crystar, thinner than most with tanner skin, and his features were charming and kind, open. His voice was smooth and calming, taking on a lilt that few could pull off without sounding ridiculous. His eyes swirled with a wavering light blue, and the blood in his veins matched it perfectly. If it was very dark, Crain would be able to notice his sala's veins glowing indigo.

Crain's guata, Guata Vrael Dunavain, was every bit the soldier his record made him out to be. His frame was thicker than most crystars had, and his biotics were close in power to sala Dunavain. His hair was a strange blonde and grey mixture, under toned with his own blood color, a red-orange color, and his eyes glowed with amber light. His veins were always pronounced, due to their strange coloring and his pale skin, and his voice was rough and masculine. Everything a guata should be, really.

Crain had learned that most other species had something called a 'female' and 'male' reproductive system. Turians, Asari, and creatures very similar to them called Humans had mothers and fathers. Apparently, the alien species could not transcend the body to create a child. Except Asari, it seemed, who used a similar process of mind melding to create their offspring; but their entire race was female, blue, and looked the same to the young crystar. Turians and humans apparently had to perform a mating ritual with their physical bodies in order to create a child. The birthing process appeared to be painful.

Crain knew that, by most alien standards, he had two fathers. Most of those that aliens would consider 'male' preferred to mate with each other, simply because they had familiar anatomy, and they had different roles handed down through their genetic makeup; attraction was attraction. The 'females' had the same process. Technically, in their translators, aliens could see sala as 'mother', and guata as 'father'. However, because that would involve gender to be an actual key in their species, the translation would fail and simply keep the word as is. The best description that their leaders could give the Council was that sala was 'creator of the children' and guata was 'guardian of the family'.

Crain was also very glad at this point that he wouldn't have to go to school for a whole month.

Crain himself was a strange mixture of his parents. He had his sala's tanned skin, and his guata's golden hair, yet his eyes were like neither of his parents. The glowing orbs had a frame of dark violet, getting lighter as they grew towards the center, and a soft pink tinged the center and spread out, mixing into a beautiful mixture of soft and sharp shades. His veins were a violet color, and his hair had a copper under glow. He was very thin, unusually so for a crystar child of thirteen years, but his biotics followed very closely to his sala's. Bright, innocent, and full of love, Crain was almost the perfect child.

Just a little too curious for his own good, sometimes.

"Darling! You should go to your room. We'll be lifting off soon, and you shouldn't bother the crew." Jeordan called as he walked towards the boy. Crain smiled and flung himself at the man, a little glimmer of mass effect shield boosting him up into Jeordan's arms.

"But I want to look around, sala! Please?" he begged. Jeordan sighed and set him down, taking his hand.

"All right, but first we need to wait until we're off. Then, while the crew goes about their tasks, we can look, yes?" he smiled, ruffling the boy's hair and guiding him to the side. Crain nodded happily and waited as the ship prepared to leave the port. The gentle humming grew a little louder, but it didn't last long as they drifted out of orbit in a matter of minutes.

"Wow!" he breathed out, going to the nearest {reinforced} window, gazing at the quickly dwindling planet, the suns catching lights of millions of crystals, homes, buildings, lush forests and open plains. The display was dazzling, a rainbow of colors surrounded by thin veils and mists. Jeordan hummed in agreement, stepping up beside his son and staring back idly at his home world.

"Most other planets aren't as beautiful, in my opinion. They have their own unique signature, of course, but none of them feel alive with Mother's grace." He turned to the boy. "When we land in the Citadel, don't be surprised if you feel cold, understand? You can't feel the trees or stones out in the galaxy like you can on our colonized planets. Mother doesn't have dominion over them there."

"Why doesn't she just take them and make them pretty?" the boy asked with a frown, irritated by the thought of lifeless trees, songless stones. Jeordan gave a small wince before shaking his head.

"That is not Mother's way, Crain. I thought you knew this. Mother wishes to give love to all, embraces those that embrace her and gives them all she can. However, very few people can reach Mother on their own. They don't have our special eyes, our special blood. They don't feel things like we do." Jeordan explained, lifting up his wrist to their eyes. A faint pulse of a mass effect current could be seen under the skin, glowing blue. Crain lifted his own arm up, looking down at his violet veins, running with the same power.

"Can we show them Mother?" he asked, reaching out and running his thin fingers over his sala's veins. A spark of dark energy was felt, and then the surge became normal again. Jeordan gave a wistful grimace.

"No, I'm not sure we can. Mother may try, but she will not force anything. All we can do is let them make their choices and continue on in life. Don't worry, son. They cannot mourn what they do not know, and Mother is content to let them live their lives." He smirked. "Come on, let's give you that tour."

"Your Majesty, please!" someone called as they came up to the pair. Jeordan frowned slightly, but he maintained his composure as the soldier saluted him and took a minute to catch his breath. "It's a risk having you out of your room, sir, but both of you out is encroaching on dangerous."

"Are you telling me I couldn't possibly defend myself _or_ my child, soldier?" Jeordan said coolly, eyes glinting with power. The soldier winced before shaking his head and looking back at another man across the way. He was dressed with the battle suits of an admiral, Crain thought. He couldn't be sure, though, because he never really liked learning about their military. Their whole focus as a species was to love and find peace. Those who chose military life were seen as protectors… and sometimes heretics.

"No, your Majesty, just…" he looked around before leaning in and whispering something. Crain tried hard to listen, but he could only catch a few mumbled phrases about turians. After he pulled back, Jeordan gave a light look of shock towards the man in the admiral's suit, eyes widening and a sudden look of hurt flashing across them before he nodded once.

"Come on, Crain, we can tour the ship on our return trip, alright?" He murmured, grabbing the boys hand and setting back towards the cabins at a brisk pace. The boy was confused, but he didn't complain. When sala was upset, you did as he told you and followed him quietly.

They eventually made it to the royal cabin, and Jeordan ushered Crain inside quickly as he shut the door with his biotics. Crain had rarely seen his sala so upset, and he didn't like the tension in the air. He went over to him, trying to give him a hug, but Jeordan only gave him a brief squeeze before telling him to go to his room and wait in there. Vrael came out of the bathroom area to the side, a towel wrapped around his waist. He smiled broadly as he saw his mate, but the smile dampened when the dark haired man gave a forced one and glanced over at Crain. The boy looked down and headed into his room.

It was a good thing he had excellent hearing.

"My love, what's wrong?" he heard his guata asking, followed by a broken sob of his sala. Crain's eyes met in astonishment and worry; his sala never cried around him. Rarely had a reason to shed tears, he thought.

"Tallon has… he was sent to the Mother." Jeordan sniffed, followed by a curse from Vrael. Crain's eyes widened further into a bleak and sudden grief he didn't understand. Tallon was his sala's crystal mate, his brother. Crain's uncle. Tallon left for Mother already? Was he sick?

"How? He didn't die naturally, no?"

"No, he was at the Citadel, and he got so curious… he went down by their wards. A few mercenaries… they thought they could just kill him and take his body. They didn't know what happens when we die. Half of them got caught in the crystals, the other half were repelled by Mother. She didn't let them defile his body… she put him into crystal stasis." More sobbing occurred, and the boy could hear his guata trying to sooth the man. "He's just _sitting_ there, cold, surrounded by useless evidence and… and he's alone! He's gone!"

"But… he was your _brother_. His power was nothing to sneeze at. How did they even get at him?"

"Just how they would get at most of us. We're too trusting, Vrael. Maybe he thought they wished to show him the wards, or maybe wanted to ask some questions… something innocent." Crain startled as he heard the bang of furniture being hit. "He's the first one. He won't be the last. Vrael… we're taking our _son_ there. There isn't time to go back, and we're already expected! I don't know why the _admiral_ decided that I didn't need to know my brother was dead." Again, more banging, and the boy had the distinct impression that some of the furniture had been uprooted from its nailed position. "If they even _think_ about going near my son, I'm killing them all! Peace be damned, we didn't have these problems before we opened the relay!"

"No one will hurt him, _ashra_! You know I wouldn't dare let him out of my sight. We'll stay out of the wards and surrounded by guards. We'll… we'll work this out. For now, let us find out as much as we can and be prepared to take action. We have room onboard to… to take him home, yes?" Vrael said slowly, and more sobbing could be heard. Tears were falling down Crain's face, little violet drops of semi clear fluid staining his cheeks.

"Yes. We'll keep him in the engine room; the core should give him comfort until he can fully return to Mother." Moments passed in silence, only the occasional sniffle and murmur of love and comfort breaking it. Crain shuffled over to his bed, his heart chiming sharply against his lungs, making it hard to breathe.

Crain didn't understand why he was crying, honestly. Sala's pain was contagious because the boy was so much like him. Crain understood that his uncle was gone, but he didn't understand the complications. He didn't understand that his uncle was murdered; only that he had left for Mother's arms a little earlier than he wanted. To him, the death was not the issue; it was the loss of future memories he had wanted that brought tears to his eyes.

Few crystar understood taking a life. Even fewer could say they had done such a thing.

Hours passed as the boy tried to calm his heart, feeling the dark energy in his veins slow down to a lethargic pace. His eyes hurt from all of the crying, and his head started to throb in time with his heart. He ached like he had an illness, and his hands were clammy.

He didn't understand.

He only shuffled further under the covers as the door opened and the light came on. He heard a low sigh before heavy footsteps sounded across the cabin, headed towards him. Crain sniffled as the covers were drawn back from his head gently.

"Crain? My _mana_?" the boy didn't answer as Vrael brushed his hair back. The man only winced slightly as he saw the purple tracks running down the boy's face. "You heard, didn't you?" Crain nodded, but didn't speak. After a few more minutes, Vrael bent over, unlaced his boots, and then scooted in next to his son. "I know it hurts."

"I… I don't understand." He murmured softly, staring up at the man with wide, innocent eyes. Vrael's eyes tightened a bit, and he sighed again before he looked down at his hands.

"You know that when someone gets really sick, or when they've ended their cycle, they turn into crystal and await someone to send them back to the mother, right?" Crain nodded. He knew that part. "Tallon died down in the Citadel, son. We're taking him back home with us so he can be sent to the Mother."

"But how did he die? Sala said something about… about him being 'killed'. What does that mean? Why would someone want uncle Tallon to die early?" Crain hiccupped, and Vrael took a deep breath.

"There's something you have to understand about other species, son. The Mother taught us to love and protect our world, our people, and even others we would meet along the way. But… not all races strive for peace. There are many reasons some may want to kill another, feeling justified enough in their reasoning to do so. Sometimes they feel wronged, and become angry. Other times they do it because they gain something from that death, like power, money, knowledge, or other things. Greed, envy, lust, anger, and sometimes because they can't feel a thing for the life they have taken." He paused. "We're new, and unstudied. There are people out there, from all different kinds of backgrounds, that would give a lot to have one of us die for them to study."

"That's… that's so selfish!" the boy cried, and a little mass effect field blipped in the middle of the room before sparking out. Vrael stroked his hair to soothe him.

"I know. But they don't have what we have… they don't have guidance, constant love… they've seen a lot and done even more in their time. Bad people are out there, Crain, and I want you to be aware of it. Your sala wanted to keep this from you… but I need you to know that you can't be so trusting to just anyone. There are people out there that will take advantage of your kindness, even hurt you to get what they want. Do you understand me?" Vrael looked him straight in the eyes, his own amber orbs swirling with an undercurrent of sorrow. "We can't lose you like that."

"Yes, guata." He nodded, sniffling a little and wiping at his eyes. Vrael gave him a grim smile before patting him on the head and getting up.

"We'll be arriving at the Citadel in a few minutes. You will stay near me and your sala at all times, do you understand? Don't wander off, don't lose sight of us, and don't go near any men wearing strange metal outfits." He smiled. "If they nod or smile, smile back, but don't talk to them unless we say so, alright?"

"Yes, guata."

* * *

Crain was scared out of his little crystar mind.

The Citadel was all metal and alloy, with little scraps of so called 'plants' scattered around. The entire area felt cold and numb, and Crain clung to his sala's leg the entire time, even resorting to dark energy to glue him on no matter how hard Jeordan tried to pry him off. They had told him it would feel different, that it would indeed feel cold. To the boy, it felt _dead_. Dread seeped into his stomach and his heart chimed violently against his lungs, causing actual sounds to be heard in their guarded group. With everything that happened to his uncle, he was expecting them all to die from so much _nothing_. The few trees he passed almost seemed to be screaming in agony, and the grass and artificial rocks felt like nonexistent space to him. It pained him to even look at the station.

"Crain! I know it's hard, but you have to GOT get used to this!" Jeordan grunted, trying to use an ME current to detach his son again. A little fizz was heard, but the boy countered it immediately with one much stronger. Jeordan winced at the backlash before turning to his mate. "Well, at least we know he'll have no trouble defending himself. I can't even budge him!"

"Mana, let go of your sala now." Vrael commanded, and everyone blinked in shock when a crack was heard and Vrael stumbled back. He had a round, red mark on his face the size of a child's hand. Crain had basically bitch slapped his guata. "… He is _your_ child."

"My child? It took two to dance under that eclipse, Vrael. I was there, and I'm sure you were too- OOF!" the dark haired man grunted as his ME field actually managed to push the child off. However, his brief moment of frustration with his mate had made him push dangerously hard, and Crain went flying over the ground, rolling to a stop at the foot of a turian covered in his strange 'metal clothing'.

Crain's heart actually skipped a beat before speeding up exponentially.

"Hey, kid, watch it!" the turian hissed, and Crain got up quickly and started to run in the opposite direction, far away from the metal covered men and his parents entourage.

"CRAIN!" he heard, but the boy was being driven to instinct. The metal, all the metal confused him, and the scents were _nothing_ like his home world, all metallic and filled with alcohol, sweat, several different species own musks, and, and-

Moon lilies. He smelled moon lilies.

He didn't even think as he followed the scent, darting between the feet of many passer-bys, given little squeals as people hissed or grunted at the sudden impact. His blood was pounding with eezo, reacting to the threat of this unnatural environment, seeking that familiar smell in order to hide, to be safe with a piece of his home. He could barely see past the mass effect shield he had created, barreling into others several feet away from him, causing little disturbances and attracting the eyes of anyone in the area.

Moon lilies. They were close. But so were loud noises. Many loud noises.

Crain glanced behind him and saw metal covered men chasing after him, carrying large metal pieces in their arms, yelling after him in half coherent languages. He screamed and dashed ahead further, finding himself at a river. The water didn't sing either, but he could feel something more in it than he had anywhere else in the entire station. He stopped abruptly, finding himself at a dead end of a wrong turn. To his left and front there was a wall of metal, a part of some building, and to his right was the water.

He turned to see three men coming towards him, eyeing him strangely. The leader was turian, and the two behind him were human. They stopped several feet away from him, but they kept their heavy lumps of metal in front of them, pointing them at the child.

"Leave me alone!" he cried, backing up against the walls. They looked at each other before the leader stepped forward. Crain, not knowing what else to do, used his energy and made little static webs spread out in front of him. The Turian came to a halt and pointed his heavy metal lump at him again.

"Put the field down, kid." He said roughly. "No one here has to get hurt."

"Go away." The boy cried hysterically, sinking to the ground as the webs expanded with his panic, spreading towards the turian. He was forced to back up as they neared his feet, snapping at him like serpents.

"Mathews, can you disrupt the field?" the turian said, and Crain looked up to see a human in metal nod and focus.

Crain felt a weak tug at his webs, and he gave a cry as he ripped at the strange, weak presence. The human gave a startled gasp before he was flung into the air, caught and held by a large energy field. The turian cursed and aimed at the boy again, but the boy could see the metal lump start to glow, so he wrenched it out of the aliens grasp and threw it into the water. He did the same to the grounded human's metal thing, and they both held up their hands and backed away several feet.

"Leave me alone!" he sniffed, snapping his webs at them again, forcing them to retreat farther.

"Okay, okay kid. We're unarmed. Now, let's talk about this nice and easy, alright?" the turian said slowly, eyeing the tendrils warily. The boys tears started to dry up, and the floating human was slowly lowered to the ground, far away from them. The turian nodded his head to the other human, and then focused back on the boy when he left.

"Crain!" a shout was heard, and the boy's webs faltered slightly, recognizing the voice. Sala.

Jeordan leapt across the river with a mass of dark energy, landing right at the edge of the webs. Crain panicked once again, remember the brief slap of his sala's dark energy against his, the pin of being forced off. He dashed through the men, running after the moon lilies, chasing the scent that could make everything else go away.

They were so close. He could smell the smooth, floral scent filling the area, and when he found it, he clung to it.

"I am so sorry, Miss, he's a little distressed." His sala said anxiously as he neared the boy again. Crain, having had a few moments to breathe it in and calm down, looked up.

He was clutching onto an asari woman in pink robes. She had started to stroke his hair soothingly, humming a little tune as she did so. She glanced down and smiled at the boy before responding.

"It is alright. The first time off of a home world can be disorienting. I've had people seek me out for what they thought they needed, of course, but I have to say he is my youngest seeker." She laughed before patting him on the head. The boy automatically let go and smiled. Jeordan stepped forward and clutched the boy to him, smiling back gratefully at the woman.

"Thank you so much, I don't know why he ran into you-," he started, but the woman merely shook her head.

"He needed peace in this place, and I had something familiar to give him just that." She glanced down at the boy again, who was still smiling at her, before looking Jeordan in the eye and gesturing to Crain. "May I?"

"Well… um…" the dark haired man blinked, not comprehending her question. The asari bent at the knees gracefully to meet Crain's eyes, still smiling serenely at the boy. As she looked at him, she spoke again.

"You have a great power in you, child, one that will awaken to something beautiful in your future. I believe you will find the one of your dreams, maybe sooner than you think." She said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "There are worlds out there you have yet to experience, and people you have yet to know, become friends with. As long as you remember those who love you do so greatly, then you have no need to fear the place around you. Got out and seize the galaxy, and never let fear stop you from following your heart."

Crain stopped smiling, looking back into her eyes with a look of wonder, staring after her as she left. Those words sunk in a little as she vanished from view, his sala scolding him lightly and guiding him to the Citadel Tower. Jeordan stopped them in front of the doors to the massive building, catching the boy's eyes and placing his hands on Crain's shoulders.

"Never do that to me again, mana. You scared me to the Mother and beyond!" he sighed, looking down. "I can't afford to lose anyone else I care about right now. Do you understand?"

Crain looked at his sala with calm, violet rimmed eyes and took on a small smile of his own.

"Yes, sala, I understand."

* * *

Crain decided he liked pizza.

The sticky 'cheese' and the 'pepperoni' tasted good on the thin bit of dough they had pounded into a circle. The fruit they had used for the sauce tasted alarmingly like a vegetable, but tasted lighter than most of the nasty green crops he had on his planet. Apparently, pizza was a delicacy common on Earth and its colonies. It seemed to be a tradition to have it with some beverage called 'beer', but they wouldn't let him have any.

So he swiped a little from his guata's bottle when he wasn't looking. After the initial, foul taste, he understood why they never gave it to children. He much preferred their carbonated fruit juices called 'soda'.

"Don't eat too much, mana; we wouldn't want you getting sick." Vrael laughed, taking a swig of his beer and chuckling at his son's enthusiasm. Crain lifted his head and gave a pouting look at the man.

"He's only eaten two slices." Jeordan raised his brow, giving Vrael a strange look. The man laughed a little more, putting his bottle down and leaning back.

"He's more like you than he is me; and remember your first time with other species delicacies?" the boy's sala twitched faintly and shook his head, though Crain thought it odd that he wouldn't remember; it was _so_ good.

"We said we wouldn't speak of that ever again." Jeordan said with a grimace, glaring his mate down slightly. The man seemed unimpressed and just leaned across the table.

"You have such a steely liver, yet you have such a delicate little stomach. Two slices had you cursing the stars for ever existing." He said as he stroked Jeordan's nose and smirked. His smirk dropped when a loud thud sounded, followed by his grunt of pain. The dark haired man smiled.

"And you, mi ashra, have such delicate bones."

"That's not what you said last-," he grunted again as a noticeably louder thump sounded from under the table. Crain, confused yet again, looked under the table to see his sala's foot retreat back under the chair as his guata's hand soothed his legs.

"Now now, mi ashra, you should really watch your language." Jeordan said with a little warning in his voice. Vrael snorted before leaning over the table and whispering something. Jeordan started to blush and hissed something back, and thus began a furious little war with words between the men. Crain, understanding nothing, went back to eating his pizza. His attention wandered until his eyes settled on a group of human men, sitting in a little corner of the restaurant.

These humans were… different. They looked young, maybe in their late teens or early twenties, and they had human military uniforms on. No weapons, no heavy metal plates, just a uniform. There were four of them, one of them telling a joke as the others listened eagerly. When he finished, they all burst out laughing.

Except for one in particular.

Sure, he laughed a little, but his was more a chuckle and sip of his drink. He was a little more collected than his companions, and he sat in his chair rigidly, facing the door and darting his eyes out every once in a while. He seemed only a little relaxed compared to his friends, and that made Crain focus his attention further, observing the young man as time passed.

He was tall, and solidly built. Maybe a little thin compared to his friends, but he looked like the youngest there, so that was fair. He had a buzzed haircut, probably less than an inch of his dark black hair left. His face was classically masculine, sturdier bone structure than any crystar could hope to achieve. He was tan, and when he did speak his voice was smooth and charming. He carried himself like someone who had seen terrible things and expected those things to pop up anytime, anywhere. On his pinky finger was a shining silver ring that caught the boy's eye for a second, followed quickly by a silver ring on his ring finger of the other hand. It seemed so out of place on such a... masculine young man.

He was… unique.

The young man's friends, however, seemed to be boring him. Minutes passed by as the recruit looked around, sighing every once in a while to himself. His companions just ignored it and talked amongst themselves. He started to fiddle with the bottle he had, probably empty by now, and then he started to look around. Eventually, his eyes met the young crystar's. At first, Crain froze up, embarrassed at being caught. He glanced away quickly, his heart chiming a little, and waited a few seconds. When he looked back up the recruit was _smiling_ at him.

The boy plucked up the courage to wave, and the recruit gave a small wave back, unnoticed by his friends. The boy blushed even harder and looked down again, his heart chiming just a bit harder, and he looked up again. The recruit seemed to be concentrating on the floor, frowning a little in a twisted way. Crain looked down to see a fork lying in between them, a good distance from each of them. The boy's eyes widened as the fork was manipulated with an ME field, and the shiny piece of silverware started to dance on its end. He looked up and saw the recruit still concentrating but smiling too.

Crain giggled behind one of his hands, glancing up at his parents. They were still heavily engrossed in their… weird behavior, so he felt alright stealing their silverware and placing it all on the floor, glancing up at the young man. The recruit seemed to wince and they all gave a weak little tug, but he shrugged when he couldn't get them all. He managed to control three of them, but there were still three others left. Crain giggled again as he wiggled his fingers at them, sending a little tendril of energy out and causing them to dance up to the ones under the recruit's control. After a brief moment of shock, the recruit smiled even broader.

They made their silverware dance with each other, forks with knives twirling around on the floor like they were at a ball, and Crain just giggled away and the recruit was all smiled too. After a few minutes, Crain got crafty and started to make his silverware fight the recruits, who happily obliged and made his start jabbing away. After another few minutes, the recruit held up his hands in surrender and his silverware slowly drooped to the ground. Crain clapped a little and made his dance on the fallen forks and knives, then returned one of them to the recruit. He gave the boy a little salute and smiled again.

Crain collected his silverware and put it back on the table, only to meet the two very amused gazes of his parents.

"Having fun?" Vrael asked as his son blushed himself into the table. A small nod and a squeak were the only confirmations, but the two laughed anyways. After a few seconds, the boy felt another energy tendril come up to him and tap his ankle. He glanced down as his parents, undisturbed by it, went back to talking.

At his feet was a bouncing, silver ring, and he picked it up as it made its highest bounce. It was the one the recruit had been wearing. Crain glanced up at the young man, only to find him getting up and giving him a little wave. His friends waved at him, whom he nodded to, and the recruit left the main exit of the restaurant. Crain quickly got up after him, rushing up to catch him before he got too far ahead.

"Hey! Wait!" he called, and the recruit stopped and turned around, brow raised and a slight smile on his face. Crain pulled to a stop in front of him, panting a little and offering the ring. "I can't take this… it's yours."

The recruit smiled and looked at him for a second, then looked him in the eyes. The boy was momentarily trapped, staring back at the young man. His eyes were a deep, royal blue color, solid and bright. It was the first time he had ever observed a humans eye color before, and it surprised him. They didn't have the same kind of endless depth to them that his race had, but this man's eyes… they made his heart chime just a little harder against his chest.

"Hm… why don't you keep it for now? I'm sure we'll run into each other again." he said warmly, reaching out and closing Crain's fingers over the precious band. He smiled and turned around again, waving behind his shoulder again. Crain looked down at it briefly before calling out again.

"What's your name?"

The recruit looked over his shoulder again, smiling faintly. "Kyle." He said, before resuming his walk and rounding the corner.

Crain opened his hand, staring at the metal band. There was an engraving on the inside, etched in a delicate text. He took it to be translated as _Forever_. He smiled slightly and put it on his index finger, marveling that it even fit. He walked back into the restaurant, eyes glowing and his heart chiming softly against his lungs. His parents looked at him carefully, briefly worried by his sudden disappearance.

"Who was that, mi mana?" Jeordan asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. Crain just looked up and smiled.

"I don't know, but he's gonna be my mate someday."

* * *

Thank you for reading, and please review~! Oh, and the following terms are some translation type things for the words that don't translate into english.

Sala (Sah-Lah)= Creator, Caregiver, Nurturer (More feminine of the mated pair, also a 'type')  
Guata (Gah-Tah)= Guardian, Protector, Provider (More masculine of the mated pair, also a 'type')  
Ashra (Ash-Rah)= Holder of my Heart (this gets explained... later~!)  
Mana (May-Nah)= My Quickling, My Gemstone (The child)


	2. Contracts and Misunderstandings

Disclaimer: I do not own the game or its own characters. However, Crain is mine, and so are his people. Plus a few others whimsy things I add in myself. I also have a few scenes where I follow dialogue a little, but don't expect it constantly. Dialogue from the game is a bitch to track down, and the focus is on an entirely new character with an entirely new species. His presence will alter conversation most of the time.

* * *

_Year 2183_

Crain was, understandably, a little upset.

His twenty-fourth birthday was going to be spent on a military ship for the human's Alliance group, seeing how its systems worked and being guarded by someone aboard the vessel. The ship may have been of human and turian make, but the core ran on his people's mass effect crystarium accelerator. A design he got to help make. He was assigned to check its functionality mainly because he had wanted to get off the home world and see more of the universe for a while. After the test mission, they would report to the Citadel and he would take a Crystar ship around to the places he wished to go. The only catch was he would need to keep his human security detail, because the humans had a surprising interest in his people.

For Mother's sake, he hadn't even been told what his security detail would _be_.

"You'll be accompanying them during their initial stealth run, alright mana? We've also placed you under the guard of one of their top ranking soldiers." His guata had said offhandedly, his eyes pouring over security details and manuscripts from his mate's, Jeordan's, previous speech. Jeordan wasn't even told that his parents were the ruling family until he was sixteen and someone had mentioned that it must be exciting, with the upcoming elections.

Most races had political assassinations, mud throwing, and a high emphasis on status. Their people? You were lucky if all they did was frown at your choice of words in your national address.

The humans on board were dull, and as far as he knew only one other alien was on board as well. The turian spectre everyone had been talking about, Nihlus. He was quiet, reserved, and seemed irritated by Crain's presence. Captain Anderson had asked him to remain in the captain's cabin, and the other crew members aboard seemed intrigued or dismissive towards him. Since he had nothing to do, and he had been sitting in the little cabin for hours, he decided to go ahead and make his presence known.

He exited the cabin, sighing as the guard outside stood to attention and tried to intervene.

"Please, sir, I was given strict orders by Captain Anderson to-," he started, but Crain cut him off sharply.

"I am not a prisoner here, and I _was_ sent to ensure that everything worked smoothly so our people could continue using this type of engine for future ships. Tell your captain I claim full responsibility for _any_ misunderstandings about me leaving this room, are we clear?" He cut in, and the soldier fell silent. Guilt at being too harsh nibbled at his conscious, and he patted the man on the arm gently. "Thank you. I don't want you to get in trouble, but I have a job to do."

And with that, he was off. He went down to the garage area, then the engine room to check the status of the engine. After running a few simple scans, and with everything in perfect condition, he went back up to ask the navigations officer some questions. He could tell the man was uncomfortable with speaking to an alien, even one so similar to his own species, but Crain understood that his eye color might set some people off. He bid the navigations officer adieu after a few minutes and messed around with his data pad idly, his thoughts wandering.

He had grown up rather well. When a child of his species had reached a certain point in their life, they were considered adults. This point was emphasized by the crystar's control of their biotics, their reflex, their own personal abilities, and whether or not their heart had grown its crystal shell. When they were children, his species held their hearts in a temporary membranous sac similar to humans with a dusting of calcium and different crystal compounds depending on coloration and subtype. When they matured, their heart took about two weeks time to grow crystal scales from this dusting of compounds, protecting the fragile heart even further. The heart itself was composed of an almost synthetic tissue, though it could be broken down to a cellular level, and when the heart beat too fast or too hard, it made little 'ting' sounds as it hit the scaled sacs containing the lungs.

As for the abilities, some could pick up on the psychological state of others around them or had talents involving the mind, while others had more physical traits or abilities. Crain himself had matured when he was sixteen, and he had shown gifts for combat, though in a rather 'unique' way. He didn't have brute strength, rather finesse with his biotics abilities that he incorporated into hand to hand and ranged combat. His other gifts had come in slightly later, being able to calm others down and release pheromones that allowed him to induce a climate for emotional states. He could rile up an already angry crowd, sooth an upset woman, and give off a pleasing pheromone around others when he wanted something done. Out of the two sets of gifts, the latter was probably the most dangerous and revered.

He had definitely grown taller, at least. He now stood at a still average height of 5'9", and he still looked rather thin. His body had taken a more toned edge after training with his sala over the years, and his constant presence indoors had left him a little paler than he had been as a child. His veins had grown more pronounced, spiking with a hot pink flare when he used his biotic abilities, and his eyes had become ever more brilliant with each passing year. They even swirled like a slow moving vortex if you stared into them for too long. His blond hair had grown low lights, high lights, and even small shades of violet and pink tinged hairs. They weren't obvious, but they added a strange shade to his coloring.

He had also declared himself a sala, and had received many offers from the people of his home world to mate with.

The first few years after his sixteenth birthday had been filled with visits from many guata, some enlisted in the military and some simple workers or civilians. The few political guata had been a little old for his liking, but they came more than once in hopes that he had changed his mind. The civilians hadn't even sparked an interest in him to talk, much less mate with, and the politicians made him sad. For some reason, though, he gave pause when the military guata came calling. He would converse with them, stop and actually look to see if they had fine physical qualities, and found himself getting close to saying yes on a few offers.

Mainly because he was lonely.

He said no to them all eventually, and refused to even acknowledge that his parents were trying to set him up on dates to see if a connection could form. When he was forced to go, he would act courteous, gentle, and try to pay attention. Yet every time he was on a date, every time he was speaking to another suitor, he would rotate the silver band on his ring finger idly, day dreaming about that day in the restaurant eleven years ago.

He constantly wondered what it would have been like to have been older, more secure in himself when that meeting had taken place. Maybe he would have flirted? Maybe he would have gone over and introduced himself, or maybe the young man would have done so for him? Maybe he would have asked Crain out to one of the clubs, like the Flux? He heard that's what humans liked to do, go out dancing and drink beer. He would have turned down the beer, of course, but he wouldn't have minded the dancing. He had no idea how humans danced in the first place, but if it was similar to his own peoples, then he could impress him.

Oh, who was he kidding? He was too naïve to be able to attract a human's attention for a relationship….

And now his idle thinking had led him straight to the hull. The pilot and copilot were both on duty, chatting casually as they went about their work. Crain went up to them and smiled, and the pilot gave him a wary glance. The pilot had a neatly trimmed beard and moustache, some type of human head ware on his head. The copilot had black hair, tan skin and soft 'model' looks, though his hair looked unusually done up.

"Hello, my name's Crain Dunavain, and I'm here to observe how the core works and performs. Are you the main pilot?" he asked, and the man in the cap nodded.

"Yeah, I am. What do you want?" the man said gruffly, glaring over his shoulder. The copilot shook his head and spoke up first.

"Joker, have some manners. You're talking to royalty." He chastised, glancing back at the crystar. "I'm Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko, copilot, and that's Joker, pilot. He's a little bit of a grouch, but you'll get used to him."

Before Crain could even say hello, Joker scoffed in disbelief. "Royalty? We don't have royalty."

"He's crystar, Joker." Kaidan sighed, going back to his work. Joker's eyes widened and he glanced back at the blond with alarm.

"You're not gonna get me fired, are you?"

"Um… what would be the point of that? Is that the proper reaction for your people to have?" Crain asked, mildly confused. He wasn't used to the abrasive nature of some humans these days, but he was getting along rather well with the diplomats he had to speak with. He doubted that setting fire to someone would be the best way of going about things….

"Well, not really, but I don't know how your royal system works. It could be an 'off with his head' kinda place for all I know." The man shrugged, turning his attention back to his console. Crain snorted a little.

"As if. The only action taken against a politician or royal family member if someone is upset with them is to frown at their choice of words or actions. Royalty isn't really a big deal because no one on our planet makes it a big deal." Crain shrugged. "If my people read more about the past of human's royal system, it would be like reading a horror novel. Especially the killings, those would freak them out."

"If royalty isn't a big deal, why do you have it?" Kaidan asked, looking up. The blond pursed his lips briefly before answering.

"We don't have a hierarchy to deal with like the turians do, and we don't have a patriarch like humans held in your history. We have a democracy, but the leader could be common blood. Blood is the key to royalty; I'm royal because my blood and crystal level is a rare occurrence. My biotic control and power exceeds most limitations, even to my race. Royal is just a term given to those who are more unique and powerful." He sighed. "The more powerful tend to make more decisions because they live longer, have a longer history, and the people trust them. There's very little deceit in our government, because Mother wouldn't be happy with corruption amongst her children."

"Mother?" Joker said, but an incoming message distracted them from continuing their conversation.

"Joker? Status report?" a strong, male voice asked. Crain recognized it as Captain Anderson. When Crain had first met the captain, he thought the man must have been something other than human, but it was soon explained that humans didn't just have different hair colors; they had different _skin_ colors as well.

"All systems fully functioning, sir. Balance is good, engines are running smooth, and stealth systems are ready for use. Activating stealth systems… now." There was a quiet murmur from the engine core as the stealth systems went into their purpose. The commander made a pleased note.

"Good. How far out are we from our destination?"

"An hour and sixteen minutes until we reach Eden Prime, sir."

"Good. Keep me posted on any updates. Oh, and Joker? If you see our crystar guest, tell him to come to the comm room immediately. The commander is here to meet him, and he's been looking for the boy everywhere. Anderson out." And the line went dead. The pilots looked at the crystar with suspicion.

"Hey… what's this mission to Eden Prime really about, anyways?" Joker asked. "You're being guarded personally by Commander Shepard; the man is legendary. Single handedly took on armed forces during the Skyllian Blitz and won."

"I honestly don't know. I'm irritated that we couldn't have just flown to a closer planet than one so far from the Citadel, but beggars can't be choosers. And I don't even know who this Commander Shepard even is. I was just told a high ranking officer would be my security detail for the remainder of my time off my home world." He said with slight annoyance. He was actually afraid to meet the man now. If he was a war hero, he wouldn't be easy to persuade off his case.

"Oh come on. They assign you Shepard, bring us all the way out here, put a full crew on deck, and then throw in a _Spectre_, just for the hell of it? Everything else might have been stretchable, but the Spectre makes it impossible to be a coincidence." Joker snorted, disbelief in his tone. Crain just shrugged.

"Right now, I only know as much as you do. Maybe less. My main task here was to see how smooth this baby flies."

"Oh, she flies real smooth, dude." Joker confirmed, almost purring as he mentioned the ship. "The _Normandy_ is a first class ship."

Crain laughed at that. "I'm glad to hear it. We were worried that the engine wouldn't meet stealth measures."

"No need to worry, our readings are almost completely undetectable." Kaidan assured, giving him a brief smile. "You probably should go meet the Commander soon. We'll be arriving at Eden Prime soon."

Crain nodded and headed back down into the navigation room, aware of the nervous and curious glances of the crew as he made his way to the comm room with purpose. The guards at the entrance gave a brief salute as he neared, and the door slid open for him in welcome.

The comm room was standard size, but it suddenly felt very, very small to him as he spotted a human and the turian Spectre standing in the middle of the room. The turian gave him a brief nod in acknowledgment, but the human had to turn around to see him. Broad shoulders, tall, buzzed haircut and a sturdy, handsome face made up the Commander, decked out in his crew uniform. His jaw was strong, his lips were cocked in a half smile, and his brows were raised as they appraised the crystar. His eyes were a striking deep royal blue, and his black hair had less than an inch on it. His deep voice nearly paralyzed the crystar as he spoke. It sounded so sure, so confident, yet it didn't have a cadence of arrogance to it.

"You must be the crystar I was told to keep an eye on. Had quite the time trying to chase you down." He smirked, putting out a hand to shake. Crain took a deep breath and grasped it firmly, the warmth radiating out and up his arm as he gave it a brief shake.

"I'm sorry, I just had to make sure everything was running smoothly." He gulped, studying the man with a guarded expression. "Have we met before? You look awfully familiar."

"Can't say we have. I haven't really been in much contact with your people." He looked back towards Nihlus briefly before looking back at the crystar. "So, what are we doing on Eden Prime?"

"I was hoping that would be explained when I got here. It hasn't." Crain frowned, looking over at the turian. "I assume you know why we're here?"

"Yes, though it was best to make sure as few people as possible knew about it beforehand. However, I'll let Captain Anderson lay out the details. I had hoped to get a chance to talk with the Commander before that." The turian paused. "I'm interested in this world we're going to, Eden Prime. I've heard it's quite beautiful."

"I've never been there, but I've heard it's like paradise."

"But you know of it? It's become something of a symbol for your people, hasn't it? Proof that humanity can not only establish colonies across the galaxy, but also protect them. But, how safe is it really?" Nihlus asked, moving back towards the screen. Crain eyed him cautiously, taking in the turian's somewhat bitter mindset. Maybe even a flare of jealousy?

"Do you know something?" Shepard asked dangerously, taking a few steps toward the Spectre. Crain could have sworn that Nihlus gave a small smile, in his own way.

"Your people are still newcomers, Shepard. The galaxy can be a very dangerous place. Is the Alliance truly ready for this?" He asked petulantly, but footsteps came down the room towards them before Shepard could respond. Captain Anderson came towards them, nodding to the crystar as he passed.

"I think it's time we told the Commander, and our crystar guest, what's really going on."

"That would be appreciated." Crain grimaced lightly. "Though I have a feeling I'm not going to like it."

"This mission is far more than a simple shakedown run." Nihlus supplied.

"I figured there was something you weren't telling us." The Commander shook his head.

"We're making a covert pickup on Eden Prime. That's why we needed the stealth systems operational." Anderson nodded towards Crain. "To cover it up, we made an agreement with the crystar leader to have his son aboard, giving an excuse to visit such a remote location. Officially, he wished to see the landscape of the world and experience life on a human settlement. To everyone on the crew, he's just here to monitor the core his people made especially for the ship, then report back."

"There must have been a reason you didn't tell me this, sir." Shepard sounded a little off guard, maybe even worried. Crain was taken aback.

"This comes down from the top, Commander. Information on a strictly need to know basis. A research team on Eden Prime unearthed some kind of beacon during an excavation. It was prothean." Anderson said quietly. Shepard gave a look of surprise, and Crain's brow raised slightly. He was used to cover up a prothean discovery? Shepard shuffled towards the two men as they made their way to the end of the comm room.

"I thought the protheans vanished fifty thousand years ago."

"Their legacy still remains. The Mass Relays, the Citadel, our ship drives; It's all based on prothean technology." Nihlus explained, leaning back against the console.

"This is big, Shepard. The last time human kind made a discovery like this, it jumped forward our technology two hundred years. But Eden Prime doesn't have the facilities to handle something like this. We need to bring the beacon back to the Citadel for proper study."

"Obviously, this goes beyond mere human interest Commander. This discovery could affect every species in council space." Nihlus commented. Shepard frowned slightly and looked back to the Captain.

"Why didn't we keep the beacon for ourselves?"

"You humans don't have the best reputation. Some species see you as selfish, too unpredictable, too independent, even dangerous." Nihlus' eyes glinted dangerously, and Shepard just shrugged back at him. Captain Anderson dived in to break the tension.

"Sharing that beacon will improve relations with the council, plus we need their scientific expertise. They know more about the protheans than we do."

"The beacon is not the only reason I am here, Shepard."

"Nihlus wants to see you in action, Commander. He's here to evaluate you."

"Guess that explains why I bump into him every time I turn around." He smirked, easing his stance and giving a small chuckle. Crain just stood still and watched the conversation continue.

"The Alliance has been pushing for this for a long time, Commander. Humanity wants a larger role in shaping interstellar policy. We want more say with the Citadel Council. The Spectres represent the councils power and authority; if they accept a human into their ranks, it shows how far the Alliance has come."

"You held off an enemy assault during the Blitz single handedly. You showed not only courage but incredible skill. That's why I put your name in as a candidate for the Spectres."

"Why would a turian want a human in the Spectres?"

"Not all turians resent humanity. Some of us see the potential of your species. We see what you have to offer to the rest of the galaxy, and to the Spectres. We are an elite group; it's rare for us to find individuals with the skills we seek. I don't care that you're human, Shepard, I only care that you can do the job."

"Just tell me what I have to do."

"I need to see your skills for myself, Commander. Eden Prime will be the first of several missions together." Nihlus said, and this time his strange smile seemed to be genuine.

"You'll be in charge of the ground team. Secure the beacon and get it on the ship ASAP. Nihlus will accompany you to observe the mission." Anderson explained, and Shepard nodded. He asked the captain a few more questions, getting background information on the mission and the beacon, and then he said he was ready to go. Crain took this opportunity to step forward.

"My sala would never have put me in this situation, Captain. This mission, if it leaked out, could attract attention from dozens of different organizations, pirates, who knows what else. I was not informed of any of this. Who did you speak to in order to sanction my involvement?" He asked, his irritation rising. To his credit, the Captain seemed apologetic, but he kept this voice firm.

"We spoke to Vrael Dunavain, your father." Crain actually winced and gave the Captain a grimace. Captain Anderson's eyes became wary, and Shepard and Nihlus looked on in curiousity.

"You…. You spoke to my _guata_, Captain, not my sala. Sala Jeordan Dunavain is the leader of my people. His mate, Guata Vrael Dunavain, has very little real political power. He would have been involved in the dealings, simply because he helps dictate military orders, but I am not a part of the militia. You'll most likely be receiving a very distressed message from my sala soon, when he finds me missing from the palace." Crain shook his head. "You believe the security detail that was discussed is null, do you not?"

"That is why I had asked you stay in my cabin."

"I was under the impression I had real work to be done. It is not my fault, nor my responsibility. I should have been made aware of this, regardless of dealings or need for secrecy." Crain sighed. "What do you plan on doing with me once we return the beacon to the Citadel?"

"…I'm not quite sure what you mean, son." Crain drew in a deep breath at that.

"Currently, all spacecraft for my people have been returned to our star system to undergo upgrades and proper inspection. Under the rules of the 'agreement' made between your Alliance and my guata, I am still under your care after this mission is over. My assigned security detail is to _remain_ my security detail until the ends of the contract is met. The contract made was real, Captain, regardless of the need for cover. Once we get to the Citadel, Commander Shepard must remain close to me, or the contract is broken." He frowned deeply. "There is no way out of it, I'm afraid. Saliah is known to make very, very detailed arrangements."

"We'll call your people to come pick you up at the Citadel. The crystar gained an embassy recently, did they not?"

"Yes, but that embassy does not have housing, and my point remains; the ships will be undergoing repairs and upgrades. No one will be able to simply 'pick me up' in the next six weeks. And Shepard is _still_ my security." Crain sighed. "Look, I can handle myself just fine. I don't need the security. But my sala, well… if he finds out the contract was broken, he'll be angry."

"You say that as if it's the end of the universe." Shepard remarked. Crain gave a delicate chuckle, though it sounded a bit strained.

"Crystar don't get angry like he will. We become irritated, frustrated, mildly annoyed… anger is an emotion we've just started discovering ever since we opened the relays. When the turians took the lives of Sala Karlieh Chavist and Sala Darwen Fintz, they learned just how angry we could get. The entire fleet was hit with a mass effect field that left them helpless as we made our way onboard and took them prisoner." He frowned. "When I say that my sala would be angry, I mean it as a warning. We just don't get angry, and my sala might do something irrational. Mother forbid something actually happens."

"Well… we'll have to deal with it accordingly, then." Nihlus commented. "I'm afraid you'll have to stay on the ship while we retrieve the beacon."

Crain snorted lightly. "As if. I'm going down there with you."

"Now wait a minute. This was not a part of the arrangement." The Captain said. Crain just shrugged.

"The arrangement is pretty much null and void now, Captain. Besides, the only one that matters is that I stay with Shepard to keep your people from receiving the backlash from all this. My sala will want blood if it's not followed. Besides, I can help." Crain smiled proudly, folding his arms and looking between the men. Nihlus made a strange sound in the back of his throat.

"How could you possibly help? Anyone on this ship could take you down."

Crain glared lightly before arguing icily with the turian. "I'm powerful enough to pick up this entire ship off the ground and disassemble it completely, turian. Physically I may not be as strong as you all are. But where biotics are concerned? You are all insects. My shields are nigh impenetrable, and I can protect the beacon and get it safely to the ship in a number of trying cases."

"Enough. We are almost to Eden Prime, and we-,"

"Captain! We got a problem!" Joker's voice cut in. Everyone in the comm room turned to the screen.

"What's wrong Joker?" Anderson called out.

"Transmission from Eden Prime sir, you better see this!"

"Bring it up on screen." He commanded, and a video flashed across the front of the room. Heavy gunfire could be heard, soldiers shouting in the background over blasts and explosions. Crain felt hairs stand up on the back of his neck, his blood pumping faster and his heart tinging off his lungs. The soldier in front of the camera was desperately calling for help, wounded on the ground. Before he could continue, he was hit again, and the camera whirled around to capture the faces of horrified marines, all staring at a strange, almost hand shaped ship landing in the distance.

"Everything cuts out after that, no comm traffic at all. Just goes dead. There's nothing." Joker sighed.

"Reverse and hold at thirty eight point five." The captain ordered, and it froze at the image of the alien ship, one Crain had never seen before. It wasn't of any known design to his people, so it had to be from outside Citadel space. Angry streaks of synthetic red lightning strobed around the entire structure, and Crain could only imagine the destruction it could cause.

"By the Mother…." He said in awe, horrified by the amount of death and destruction it left in its wake.

"What the hell is that thing?" Shepard asked, turning to the turian. Nihlus shrugged.

"I've never seen anything like it before. But there can only be one reason why it would attack so close to our destination." Nihlus shook his head and headed towards the exit. "We have to secure the beacon!"

* * *

No one argued as Crain joined them, fitted in his own type of armor. It looked like normal close fitted clothing, but the stretchy material allowed for the crystar wearing it to reach max flexibility, allowing them to avoid larger projectiles and use their energy fields to stop the other kinds. The technology behind its padding was made specifically for crystars, attuning to their bio signature and allowing the appropriate protection based on whether or not they were sala or guata. Crain's was thinner, indicating he was better at detailed and delicate combat as a sala, as opposed to the brute force and complete destruction a guata would inflict.

Shepard gave him a glance after Nihlus jumped off on his own, scouting ahead. Crain just gave the man a small smile.

"What?"

"Nothing. I just heard that crystar hated violence." He said, and there was a question hidden in that statement. Crain nodded his head sadly.

"We have a lot of power at our disposal, but most of my people dislike the aggressive use of it. It goes against Mother's teachings to harm another life, much more to take one. We have had to train ourselves in combat to ensure our own safety. We didn't even know self defense before we opened the relays. We had to rely on the Heretics to train us." Crain sighed as they reached their drop off point, and the marines jumped out and landed on the ground hard. Crain simply jumped and let his energy fields slow him down to the ground.

"Okay, we need to follow the path to the dig site. Kaidan, cover our rear. Jenkins, flank my left. Crain? I don't know your best skills. Where would you position yourself?" Commander Shepard asked, drawing out his gun and keeping it at the ready. Crain simply took his left.

"My biotics are my specialty and focus point. If I get in close quarters, I can work with that as well. Best I remain behind the lead." Shepard nodded and indicated his right, leading them down through the winding hills.

After a few moments of nothing but gas bags, they found bodies. Marines in several different uniforms were lying about, strewn across the field they found themselves in. Guns lay abandoned, dead eyes open and staring at the sky. Crain gulped and felt tears build up in his eyes as he observed the carnage, bodies still smoking from gun and laser blasts. He left his position briefly, leaning down and closing a young woman's eyes, sending a prayer that Mother might take pity on her soul. He heard a loud bang from a gun, followed by a gasp and Shepard's orders to get under cover.

Jenkins. Crain could feel the life being snuffed out like a candle, could feel life around him. He let his energy overflow and gather in his hands, seeking the targets. He couldn't feel anything alive in the area but Kaidan and Shepard…. But he could _see_ three figures coming up and taking cover.

Machines. Machines he had no problem destroying.

They moved over the rise, taking cover behind the rocks and trees as they inched closer. Kaidan tried throwing a rock at one of them, unsuccessfully, and Shepard moved in closer to fire at them. Crain dashed over and slid in next to the lieutenant, gathering a mass effect field into his hands.

"This is how it's done." He glanced over at the three enemies in range, focused briefly on them before bringing his hands up and crashing them down. Numerous boulders rose from the ground, targeted the machines quickly, then hurtled towards the metal and buried it, crushing it into unidentifiable pieces. Kaidan's eyes widened and he gulped a little, and Shepard came over to the pair, smiling.

"You weren't kidding when you said you weren't defenseless." His smile dropped as he looked over at Jenkins's body, and Crain gave a strangled sigh as he walked over, looking into the soldier's eyes.

"Blessed be, child, and may the Mother commend your soul to your maker." He said solemnly, closing the soldier's eyes and stepping back. He felt a single tear fall down his face, staining his cheek with a light violet trail. He hadn't experienced death so first hand before, the most he had was aiding his people in sending off those who had come to the end of their cycle.

Those were times to rejoice, because they had lived long lives and would reunite with the Mother. This was… heart wrenching.

"We'll send for his body to be retrieved, Alenko, but we have to get to the beacon. Jenkins wouldn't have wanted us to fail." Shepard and Kaidan shook themselves, shutting off and preparing to move on. The Commander startled as a little sob broke out in the clearing, followed quickly by a light sound. It almost sounded like wind chimes. He looked around for the source, only to realize that Crain was crying steadily, his tears were purple, and the sound was coming from him. "Crain? I know it's hard, but we have to keep moving. Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry; I'm just not used to death being so… violent." He rattled out, brushing the tears off. "Let's keep going. Hopefully, all of our adversaries are machines."

"Why?" Kaidan asked. Crain winced.

"Machines don't have life. I can cause as much destruction as necessary." He said, nodding to Shepard. From there, however, he was a daze. He destroyed most of the geth they encountered, having identified them. Their story interested Crain in that they had started to think for themselves, freeing themselves from the quarians, and became independent on their conquered home world. They hadn't gained a breath of life, but they had gained intelligence matching a living organism. He destroyed them nevertheless, eagerly helping the survivors and cracking open the containers they found.

As long as he didn't have to deal with the dead anymore, Crain was relatively okay.

Eventually, they encountered a group of geth chasing a marine, a woman who called out for help. After Crain and Shepard took care of the machines, the woman came up to the group. She was basic and possibly pretty, in a human way. Crain didn't really like human females for their looks; they weren't nearly as beautiful as crystar girls. And not even near as nice. Crain could see more geth in the distance, but they needed to address the woman first.

"Gunnery chief officer Williams of the two-twelve. You the one in charge here sir?" she asked breathlessly, looking around at the trio. Shepard came forward and spoke.

"Are you wounded Williams?"

"A few scraped and burns, nothing serious." She sighed sadly and shook her head. "The others weren't so lucky. We were patrolling the parameter when the attack hit. We tried to get off a distress call, but they cut off our communications. I've been fighting for my life ever since!"

"Where's the rest of your squad?"

"We tried to double back to the beacon, but we walked into an ambush. I don't think any of the others-… I think I'm the only one left." She gulped again, and Crain could see a glimmer at the corner of her eyes. He wanted to go to her and comfort her, but it wasn't his place to do so. Humans weren't known for being as touchy feely as his race.

"This isn't your fault, Williams. You couldn't have done anything to save them." Shepard reassured her, and she nodded glumly.

"Yes sir. We held our position as long as we could, until the geth overwhelmed us."

"The geth haven't been seen out of the Veil in over three hundred years. Why are they here now?" Kaidan asked, and Crain felt he knew the reason.

"They must have come for the beacon. Synthetic life always strives for a goal; maybe theirs is to further their race into a more powerful front." Crain suggested. Shepard nodded thoughtfully and Williams shook her head.

"That's probably why. The dig site is close, just over that rise. It might still be there." She said, gesturing over the hill. The geth hadn't noticed them yet, though they had their weapons drawn and pointed in the opposite direction. Crain could see some of them setting up strange little stands along the way, setting the bodies down on them as they went. He wasn't prepared for the spikes to suddenly impale the corpses and lift them into the air. Shepard noticed it and shook his head.

"I don't like the looks of that. We could use your help, Williams. Lead us on."

"Aye aye, sir. It's time for payback." She said darkly, bringing out her gun and following the commander's lead. The group went on, fighting the geth they came across and happening upon a compound of sorts, with dozens of people stuck on the spikes. Crain felt little surges of power build up from those spikes, and he stopped the commander from continuing.

"Shepard… those spike are sending off energy signals." He warned, just as one of the spikes descended. They looked over at it, the body all shriveled and… strange. It almost looked like a robot.

Crain was in no way prepared for the corpse to move jerkily off of the spike and scramble towards them like a monster. Its eyes glowed blue, and the crystar could feel no life coming from it. The spikes all around them started to descend, and Crain cried out as one of them grabbed him from behind. He sent it flying with a well placed biotic enhanced punch, then gathered up his energy and sent the crates around them flying. Spikes and corpses were flung about, being thrown into the air by a mass effect maelstrom. After everything had settled down again, Crain sent as many crates as he could to the still moving corpses, crushing them completely. Shepard whistled at the damage caused.

"You don't do things halfway, do you?" he said appreciatively, and Crain gave a shaky smile and nervous laugh.

"I especially don't like dead things popping up and trying to get me to join them. Not what I consider a good day so far, Shepard." He shook his head sharply, focusing on the road ahead. "Come on, I feel something in the distance. It's emitting a _huge_ amount of energy."

"That's probably the beacon. But, was it active when they dug it up?" Kaidan asked Williams. She shrugged.

"I think so. I know that it wasn't active when they dug it up, but I was just called in from another area for extra security. I don't think the scientists were supposed to turn it on." She looked ahead nervously, shuffling about on her feet. "I don't like this, sir. If that things on, what exactly are the geth planning to do?"

"I don't know, Williams, but we'll find out. Crain, can you lead us to it?" the crystar frowned slightly, trying to get a better grip on the signature. It was faint, but he felt he could keep a hold of it.

"Yeah, just follow this path up the hill and get us to the cargo transport. Seems the easiest way, yes?"

And with that, the team was off.

* * *

The beacon felt eerily like the core of a ship. A crystar ship.

Crain stared at the ancient technology, absorbed by the energy field it put around itself. It seemed like it was in use, as if the beacon was transmitting a signal to some unknown vessel in the galaxy. The crystar stared at it as the commander reported it was in their hands and secure. Kaidan was in awe of it, but Williams was worried. The beacon didn't look like that when they dug it up, apparently.

"It wasn't doing anything like that when they dug it up. Something must have activated it." She said, getting closer to it. Crain shook his head.

"I wouldn't advise that, Miss. You don't know how it will react." He warned, but she just waved him off and continued. Shepard drew closer to them, his back still turned.

"Roger, _Normandy_. Standing by." He said, turning towards the group. Williams got closer and closer, and Crain could feel and see the beacon pulse with energy. It reacted to the human girl like a vacuum, drawing in the energy around it and all that contained it.

"No! You stupid girl!" Crain called, trying to bring an energy field up to save her. He managed to latch on, but his blood wasn't pumping with its usual power anymore. He dragged her away, flinging her across the platform, but he himself fell and started to get sucked in by the light. "Shepard!" he cried out, terrified. He couldn't feel the power in his blood anymore, and if he couldn't feel it… he couldn't save himself.

The commander saw him, glancing over Kaidan's shoulder and dashing past the bewildered man. Crain could feel the beacon _digging_ into his blood, pulling at the energy it found there, drawing it closer and making his heart ache against his chest. The normal musical notes his heart made sounded like heavy thuds of metal on metal, causing the crystar to lose his breath and double over, rolling towards the glowing line of ancient light.

Shepard got to him just in time, putting him in a bear hug and using all his strength to toss him away from the beacon, knocking the wind out of him. Shepard himself was already far too close to the beacon, and before his eyes it exploded into light and images.

Everything went dark at the sight of machines killing thousands of aliens he had never seen before, thousands of innocent lives being snuffed out… like candles in a storm….

* * *

He was in a peaceful meadow when he his eyes opened. He yawned delicately as he moved around, his body free and lightweight and feeling wonderful.

He looked around at the serenity, the pure peace that flowed through the open fields. Flowers of all kinds grew, the floral smells and vibrant colors greeting his senses as he sat up. He was dressed in a simple pair of white pants and a loose white shirt, his feet bare in the soft grass. He could hear birds singing in the background, could see a forest's edge on one side of the clearing, a light little waterfall on the other. The rocks had crystals jutting out from them, and on something that looked akin to a bench sat a woman.

This woman was no ordinary woman. Her long, flowing tresses were white and glowing, giving off little sparkles of thousands of colors as they moved with the gentle breeze. Her skin literally glowed, its creamy color flawless and gleaming gently. Her frame was tall but thin, her body covered by a beautiful layering of silks and crystal fibers. Her face was tilted up towards the suns, both high in the sky and beating down warmly. Her face had taken the form of a female crystar, flawless and alluring, yet the peace that radiated from it gave only one word to mind. When she opened her eyes and looked at him with a bright, currant light, he knew.

"Mother." He whispered, breathing in sharply as she smiled and beckoned for him, arms open and inviting. He got up quickly and ran towards her, a smile of rapture breaking across his face. He flung himself into her arms as she stood, catching him and swinging him around. She laughed merrily along with him, bringing them to a stop and setting him down, looking into his eyes.

"Hello, my child. It has been long since I have seen you last. Come, sit with me for a while." She took a seat on the crystalline bench, patting the open spot next to her. "I was just admiring the midday light."

"It is beautiful." Crain laughed, gazing up at the sky and watching as little wisps of free energy flew through the air, aimlessly. The woman smiled and hummed to herself, taking hold of the crystar's hand. He looked up at her happily, though his smile started to turn downwards as he realized where he was. "Am I dead, Mother?"

"No, my child, but you were injured severely. You're currently back on the human vessel, lying down in the infirmary. I am keeping you company as your body heals, lending what I can." She smiled, tracing a finger over the veins in his arm. "That prothean beacon left an imprint of data inside of you, as well as the human Shepard. It damaged your mind, though briefly. You will not be joining with me yet, my child. You have far too much to achieve in you cycle before you will rest truly in my meadow."

"Thank you." He said gratefully, unable to keep himself from smiling. She chuckled softly and touched his cheek.

"You are always welcome, mi mana, never forget that. I only wish I could have saved you the pain of your encounters on that day." Her smile faltered, her gaze searching the boy's eyes. He gulped and felt them tearing up.

"I… I had known that there could be violent deaths. I was… unaware that they were so… so grisly. Especially for humans." He blinked, a violet tear running down his cheek and dripping onto his previously spotless garment. The woman reached up and brushed his tears away, leaning forward and gathering the boy in a comforting hug.

"I know it's hard, Crain. Death is never easy. I have tried to keep it a peaceful process, but when it came time to open the relays, I lost my dominion. I can only try my best to keep you from dying prematurely." She sighed, rubbing his shoulders. He clung onto her and let her love wash over him, feeling the energy she gave and giving his own back. This was _Mother_. Every time he started to have a nightmare, she stepped in and shed radiant light through the shadows, surrounding him in warmth and love. While he was awake, her power went running through his veins, her love a constant feeling of comfort when he was alone or grieving.

"Do humans go someplace like this when they die?" he asked, looking up at her. She smiled again, but this one was strained, unhappy.

"I know that humans _can_ go to happy, peaceful places." She said, but her words were tainted with a light despair. "However, very few of them ever come across me. When they do, it is simply them roaming across the nether, unseeing… unfeeling…."

"How… sad. I wish they could know your love." He sighed, snuggling up and closing his eyes. He felt her kiss his hair and smile broader.

"There may come a time when they do, my child. Soon, possibly. But for now I will leave it to you to show them love and peace. Be warned, however," she started, leaning back and taking his shoulders. She looked him sternly, kindly, in the eyes. "Peace and love are not always the way others live. You will have to make choices in this new world, this new galaxy, child. I have already embraced too many children before their time, before they were meant to dance with me under the eclipse again. Be cautious, and if you must, defend yourself. The moment others seek to take your life, you have the right to defend it with your power."

"You never taught us that." The boy said with worry, looking up at her with anxious eyes. She grimaced lightly and shook her head sadly.

"I should have, had I known you would encounter others so soon. It may have saved more lives." She said, her voice like a gentle warbling brook. Tears fell from her face, reflecting nameless individuals that had run into her arms for the final time. Alarmed, the crystar embraced her again, hugging her tight. She chuckled lightly, slightly wavering but coming back. "You are too kind, mi mana. But never forget what I have said. You must know to defend yourself, following my teaching where you can, but allowing your life to take precedence over those who would take it away."

"Yes, Mother." Crain said, frowning as he felt a strange pull at his chest. "Mother?"

She smiled broadly again, a flash of light illuminating the meadow. As it grew, she spoke again, her words ringing through his ears.

"It is time for you to join the conscious once more, my child. Remember what I have said, and know that you will always have my love." Her voice echoed as the world grew white, and in his chest beat his fragile, scaled heart, warm from the feeling of love and care from his beloved creator.

A Mother to all who needed her love. A Mother to all who were lost.

* * *

"How long has he been out, doc?" the deep voice of a man asked, ringing in Crain's ears. The crystar groaned as it reverberated back and forth in his skull, the light outside his lids already piercing enough. He could barely move his body, and the room he was in smelled like antiseptic and alcohol. Very _pure_ alcohol.

He left the Mother's meadow for _this_?

"Now? This is an unusually long time for any of his people to be unconscious. He has shown signs of a remarkably quick recovery, commander, but still... Though you were closest to the blast, and should have been the only one affected, he seemed to have gotten hit harder than you. While you had increased beta waves and shorter spans of rapid eye movement, he had more physical trauma. His heart scales were shaken a little, but they seem to have grown in normally now." An elder lady's voice said, not as bad going into his ears as the one before. He struggled to move, but groaned when the attempt set his head buzzing again. It seemed to cause the doctor to notice him

"Mr. Dunavain? Are you awake?" the doctor asked, and he opened his eyes to wander around the room. He saw the woman, Dr. Chakwas, standing over him with a light and a hand to his forehead. Shepard moved in to his other side and looked down at the crystar with deep, worried navy blue eyes.

"Hey, kid, how are you feeling?" he asked, giving a nervous half smile. Crain winced as the doctor started to probe around on his wrist, checking his pulse. Crain struggled to sit up, feeling Shepard's hand guide him up.

"My body has healed itself. I'm back to functioning, at least…." A growl sounded through the room, startling everyone in the vicinity. He smiled sheepishly at them before rubbing the back of his neck. "I think I need food… soon. How long was I out?"

"Three days. We thought we would need to take you directly to your home world for treatment at the pace you were going. Your pulse seems to be fine, though it feels slightly different from a normal heart rate for humans." The doctor said, her eyebrows knitted together. Crain gave her a small smile.

"My heart is beating at its regular pace. And you don't want to flash a light in our eyes, doctor, you'll end up blinding yourself in the process." He groaned as he tried to stand up, losing his footing and falling forward. Shepard was quick to catch him before he hit the ground, holding him a little closer than normal to his chest. Crain clutched at him, trying to find his feet again, but was momentarily distracted by the scent.

Commander Shepard smelled _good_.

It wasn't completely plain what it was, but Crain was rapidly comparing it to a few products he had played around with at the stores in the Citadel. Deodorant, a smooth and spicy kind, was the first one that hit his nose, but after a second another rush came in. A scent so unique, so warm that he couldn't find words. Bread? No, more like… well, he smelled like a dark, hot night out at the Flux, followed shortly by gentle, firm kisses, calloused hands running over his body smoothly, heat surrounding him like an open flame, and-

He was cut off as Shepard lifted him up easily and set him on his feet, taking his shoulders and staying close enough to overwhelm him ever so slightly.

"You okay?" he asked again, genuine concern in his voice and eyes, and he started to rub circles into one of Crain's shoulders as he got his bearings.

"Yeah, just a little dizzy. Need food." He looked around, shaking his head right, inhaling deeply. Still smelled like him.

It was most definitely _not_ the scent of a crystar guata, but it certainly was that of a human guata.

Shepard laughed, distracting him again. "Come on, we'll get you some grub. Doctor?"

"Go on, take him to get something to eat. His scans seem to be normal again, though… beta waves are off the charts, just like yours were. We'll talk about it later." She waved them off, and Shepard put one of the crystar's arms around his shoulders, leading him out of the infirmary. Crain was confused by everything he was feeling as his arm registered the Commander's muscles for the first time.

_Crystar didn't get muscles like that,_ he thought, shaking his head again and trying to find something to say. Shepard glanced down at him, making the boy realize just how much of a height difference there was. The man was about half a foot taller than him.

"So… you had us worried for a while there." Shepard said lightly, but his eyes belied his feelings. Crain grimaced.

"Sorry, when we go through a heavy trauma, we tend to withdraw and repair ourselves. It's the first time it's happened to me, though, so I'm a little unsure of myself here." He chuckled a little, and Shepard laughed too.

"I woke up about half a day later. You woke up after three. You sure you feel fine? Other than hungry?" he said as they entered, steering them towards an empty table at the edge of the room, setting him down gently and rubbing Crain's back as the boy rested his head on his arms. He felt a blush creep up his face.

"Yeah, my body's functioning properly again. Now it just needs nourishment."

"I'll get you something, sit tight." He heard the commander say, and then felt his presence leave.

Sit tight? How did one 'sit tight'?

A couple of minutes later, Crain felt a presence join him and set a tray down next to him. The familiarly warm hand patted his back again. "Here you go, buddy."

He looked up to come face to face with a tray piled with all different kinds of rations, some more appetizing than others. Crain felt his blood spike with a sudden and desperate need for the food, giving off a violent pink glow as he started to shovel in the food as fast as he could. Shepard whistled in surprise and scooted back a bit, pushing a drink forward when the boy started to choke a bit. The blonde nodded briefly in thanks before going back to his food, barely tasting anything but the sweet after taste of fruit.

"I know we biotics eat a lot, but your people take the cake." Shepard whistled. Crain looked up and giggled a little, coughing a bit and swallowing the rest of his drink. He glanced down unhappily to see all his food gone.

"The food we eat on our world is very high in calories and vitamins. It makes up for the large amounts of eezo in our blood stream." Crain shrugged. "A crystar's got to eat."

"I bet." The man laughed, finishing off his own food and grabbing the empty trays. "Well, now that you're better we can decide on our destination."

"Wait, decide? I thought we were headed to the Citadel." Crain asked, getting up gingerly and following the commander. After he disposed of the trays, the man led the blond back to the navigation room.

"Yeah, but Dr. Chakwas said there was a possibility that we would have to get you to your home world in order to heal. She doesn't know all that much about the crystar, other than the few medical advice tabs they've made for the Citadel space. You were unresponsive until someone tried to touch your chest, then you responded violently. Now that you're awake, we can go directly to the Citadel." He paused before turning to face the crystar. "We also received a transmission from your guata. He had… quite the shiner."

Shiner? "A what?"

"Um, black eye. Someone hit him pretty hard." Shepard fidgeted a little, and Crain snorted.

"Sala must have been _really_ unhappy with him. What else was said?"

"Well, the contract is still in effect. I was your assigned security detail, and they don't have anyone else they'd be willing to switch for. You're stuck with me until then end of the period." Shepard winced slightly. "Captain Anderson was furious when he read the contract."

"Why?" Crain asked, his blood pumping a little. He didn't like being the reason people were mad.

"The contract was legal binding, and the Alliance is arguing that it wasn't supposed to be. It also has a set time on it. I'm your security detail for the next six months. Originally, your people had made it look like you'd be spending all that time on Eden Prime. Now, you can go anywhere… I just have to follow." He shrugged. "I'm needed to investigate Saren and the geth. Anderson doesn't want the risk and complications of a crystar royal getting involved and in danger."

"I can more than take care of myself." Crain frowned slightly, irritation building up under the skin. He wasn't some invalid civilian from their planet; he was a crystar. He could throw dozens of crates and boxes around with a simple thought.

"I know that, but he's still nervous about it. The only thing we can do is keep you near me and wait for a decision to be made. In the mean time, we'll work together. You had the visions too, right?" Crain shivered at the memory. Thousands and thousands of lives, taken quickly and efficiently, mass murder….

He had that vision, all right.

"Yes. The council should have no reason to discount us. Prothean technology is still very misunderstood; what we experienced may be a part of their legacy. Possibly their demise." Crain sighed, pacing around the little hallway they were in. "So, what's the first thing we do?"

Shepard made a face. "We have to land on the Citadel, then we have to go to the human embassy. Udina will be difficult, to put it lightly." Crain sighed along with him. He disliked dealing with human politicians. They left a bad taste in his mouth.

"All right, let's go."

* * *

If Crain could ever feel hate, it might have been aimed towards the human ambassador before him.

He was old, cranky, rude, and lacked any decorum that the other politicians tried to at least put up while they were in the works. The man before the blond was determined to incite one of the soldiers he was barking at, and Shepard was obviously losing patience. The bulging vein at the corner of Anderson's head never subsided, and Shepard's jaw never unlocked as the ambassador continued ranting about their failure. Crain was starting to get a headache, and the man just _wouldn't shut up_! When he looked towards the crystar, there was a deep rooted disgust poorly hidden in his eyes.

"And now you can't even manage to pull off a mission without sticking yourself to yet another species! The _Normandy_ had to be built with the turians, and the crystar just _had_ to have their hand in it! Now our best soldier is stuck babysitting one of their whelps, and his Spectre evaluation is plummeting by the second!" Crain bit back a retort when the man called him a whelp, but Shepard took issue with it.

"We're not the ones who went over the contracts and signed them, Udina. You don't like it, tough. You're the one who didn't bother to read them properly and ensure that one of them was fake. We just have to convince the council of what happened on Eden Prime was more than a geth attack." He bristled, his entire posture shifting to intimidating, and Crain was briefly impressed on how the old man didn't even flinch, just kept giving them all that impudent glare of his.

"Regardless, you've accused a Spectre agent, Saren no less, of treason against the _entire_ galaxy. Without any proof, any credible witnesses, you've just pushed us that much farther in the mud!" the man raged, then glanced over at the frowning crystar. "And we can't even begin a proper investigation while we shelter this child. It was made very clear by their leader that if you weren't the one guarding him, Shepard, there would be some kind of consequence. I can't possibly imagine what it could be, but I bet it will be colorful and cost us BILLIONS in credits!"

"It's not that big of a deal-," Shepard tried to argue back, but Udina wouldn't hear it. The man was too far gone in his own anger.

"OF COURSE IT IS! One screw up after another, after another, piled on with this? We can't afford to owe those sub-human breeding _faggots_ any more than we already do!" Udina started, but that last part reached into Crain's translator loud and clear.

He felt a surge of power in his body as he threw the ambassador to the wall, pinning him there with a compressing energy field. The old man gasped and struggled to free himself, scratching at air and finding it hard to breathe. Shepard's eyes grew in alarm, and Anderson's bulging vein in his forehead soothed down, a smile quirking at his lips.

"We, as a people, hate violence greatly. But my hate for violence is starting to dwindle as my dislike for you increases. You try my near infinite patience, Udina, and you would do well to remember who you are speaking to." Crain hissed, his veins flaring violent pink, almost a red color from his built up frustration. "If you insult my people one more time, ambassador, you will regret it. You should have read the contract more carefully, and you should have had dozens of assistants aid you with it. Instead, you chose to skim over it and sign. You are at fault there, and I _will_ be taking an active role in this investigation. As you can see, human, I am not as weak as you take me for. Now, are we clear? Or do I need to leave you pinned to this wall for a few hours to cool down?"

Udina's eyes burned with hatred and humiliation for a few moments, and then he sighed and nodded his head tersely. "Crystal."

"Ironic, then." Crain let the man fall to the floor, gasping a little at the sudden shift in his gravity. Shepard gave the boy an impressed look, and Anderson hid his smile in his eyes as Udina got up and brushed himself off.

"I… apologize if I allowed my emotions to cloud my words, Sala Crain." He said formally, slipping on a cool mask. Crain scoffed and waved a hand.

"Whatever you say, dash'lag. You have a council to convince." Udina looked confused for a moment before he just flushed and stalked away. Crain let out a pent up sigh and sat at the edge of the nearest desk. Shepard came over and started chuckling. Crain looked up at him sharply and frowned. "What?"

"Nothing. It's just funny to see a man like that get torn down so hard. What's a dash'lag?" he asked, looking down at the crystar with amusement twinkling in his eyes. Crain blushed a little at the word.

"Well, it's an insult the Heretic's have for a soldier who runs from battle. It's basically calling someone a coward, but with a few more add-ons. An old friend of mine from when I was training, Skylaris, would call anyone who fell behind that. It wasn't a common crystar word, so no one understood until he gave this great big lecture on how weak we had become. Sky was one of the first Heretic soldiers to train the people in my city, still one of the best." Crain sighed. "I rarely dislike someone as much as that man."

"He's just that kind of guy. You won't have to deal with him much now, though. He'll be too scared to even talk about you." Shepard smiled. "So… you never got to explain the Heretics."

"We probably need to go check to the tower and wait for the council to start the hearing, no?" Crain dodged, and Shepard raised a brow. The blond wrung his hands nervously, getting up and shuffling around a little. "I promise I'll tell you about them later, if you want, but it's a long, long story to tell."

"Okay, I'll look forward to it." Captain Anderson raised his head from the computer terminal he had slinked over to, typing and searching for something on the extranet.

"Dunavain's right, Shepard, you'll need to get over to the council soon for the hearing. I'll head over right now, but you have about an hour to explore the Citadel before you have to be there. Take him around with Williams and Alenko, and try not to do anything rash." Shepard nodded before leading the crystar out of the embassy.

"Your embassy is right there. I'll need to leave you in there while I wait for Alenko and Williams, alright? Besides, I think your sala will want some privacy with you before we head out." Shepard said easily, patting Crain on the shoulder and rubbing it briefly before heading out of the embassy corridor. Crain felt his cheeks heat up a little as he shuffled over into his people's room.

The embassy had been decorated with numerous plants from the home world, gleaming in the light from the city. Dozens of different colors laid out a prism of light in each leaf, each branch. The entire suite had been turned into an office that they may have had in the west wing of the palace, or in the communications office for their security department. It was nice to be able to hear the trees, the rocks again. At the far end of the room was an empty terminal, the others being taken up by representative crystar. Their own ambassador seemed to be out of the room.

"Sala Crain!" an assistant called, a crystar girl with delicate, pixie like features and a shock of deep red hair. Her veins were a light green color, and her eyes matched a beautiful shade of emerald. Her hair on closer inspection was dusted with light green highlights, and her nails and clothes seemed to match in color. The nails confused Crain.

"What happened to your nails?" he asked, alarmed. The girl laughed and put one of her hands over her mouth.

"Aren't they interesting? Humans use something called 'nail polish' to match what they're wearing or what features are best suited for them. All the sala women are getting their nails done here on the Citadel. They come in all kinds of different shades!" She said perkily, looking over at a few of the other assistants. They were all female sala, he realized, and each of them waved with colored nails and matching outfits to their crystal color.

"How… nice?" He pondered, though he couldn't possibly imagine the men wearing something so vain. "Human men don't do it, do they?"

"Not as far as we know." She shrugged briefly before leading him to the empty terminal. "Back to business, however, Sala Dunavain was very anxious to speak with you. He doesn't know what happened at Eden Prime, and he was… irritated earlier with Guata Dunavain."

All the girls in the embassy winced in sympathy.

"Thank you, Sala…?"

"Faye. Sala Faye Arling." She smiled, interlocking her fingers cutely and keeping them up to her heart. "I'm unmated, so I'm keeping my parents name for now. I'm just so ready to find that special someone, though."

"I know what you mean." Crain sympathized, sitting in the terminal chair and chatting idly for a few minutes. After they had had enough pleasant talk, Faye went back to her desk and started to work on something else, the girls around her returning to their work as well. Crain turned on the terminal and found where the contact list was. When he found his home world, he went under his own country, then found his sala's terminal. He paused before clicking on the link, setting the call up. When the screen went blank and then reappeared, Crain froze up.

"Hi sala." He murmured, and Jeordan snorted, shaking his head.

"Hello, mi mana. So, I heard you encountered a prothean beacon." He said tiredly, and Crain nodded.

"I didn't even know what it was-," he started, but Jeordan cut him off. His eyes calmed and he gave a small smile.

"I understand you had nothing to do with it. Your guata had a brief moment of extreme and utter stupidity when he decided to send you on a little trip with the humans. I knew nothing of it until you were already on the planet. What, on this Eden Prime? Huh, and they allowed you to accompany them on the mission? Did they even understand the damage that could have been done? No matter, I'll be having a discussion with the fools. Were you hurt? I've heard whispers and felt aches. What happened?" Jeordan was rambling, and he looked _so_ tired, with heavy circles under his eyes and his lips thin from being pressed together so much. Crain took a moment to put his thoughts in order.

"I was under the assumption I was there to monitor the core, like it says in the contract I signed, and at first I was. But then I had a meeting with the Captain and the Spectre on board, Nihlus. They told me they were using my 'want to see human life' as a cover for going in. They assumed the contract was fake, just a document to fool everyone not involved. I tried to explain to them just how real it was, they got irritated, a transmission came in, and the planet was attacked by machina made to be intelligent, an AI assembly of robots. We took care of them along the way to the beacon, picked up a surviving marine, then got to the beacon and tried to secure it. The marine got too close, it tried to pull her in, I stopped it. However, I was the closest thing after that, so it tried to pull me in, and I couldn't use my energy fields to get out of it, and Shepard pulled me out-," he said quickly, trying to get through it all without thinking too much on the deaths and destruction. His sala, however, cut him off with a hand.

"Shepard? Commander Shepard, of the Skyllian Blitz?" his sala asked sharply. When Crain nodded, Jeordan groaned. "No wonder the humans are so upset with us… someone like Commander Shepard does not just get put on as security detail. And this was all forced in the contract?"

"Yes, mi sala. His name was there, but I didn't know who it was." Crain mumbled, embarrassed by the entire situation. Apparently, his security detail was an appealing war hero with a habit of being warm and attractive and… and warm…

"Well, we'll deal with that as it goes along. Were you hurt?"

"Well, the beacon… it reacted to my biotic energies. It imparted information to me somehow, but I fell unconscious. I woke up three days later, but it was no big deal." Crain assured, but his voice cracked lightly. The dark haired man frowned and glared lightly before Crain reluctantly continued, already wincing at the reaction he knew would happen. "I was with Mother for a little bit as I healed."

Sala Jeordan Dunavain slammed his fists down on the table and yelled in heretic. Crain actually cowered in his seat as things started to fly across his sala's room, and the girls in the office buried themselves deeper in their work. After a few minutes of chaos, Jeordan came back to the terminal and seethed, staring at his son with worry and irritation at others.

"I'm coming." He said before the connection went dark.

"Wow, your embassy is a lot nicer than ours." Shepard's voice floated through the doors, but Crain couldn't turn around. He just stared at the blank screen, dread filling his veins and dampening his energy. He felt someone come up behind him and place a hand on his shoulder, patting it a bit. "Crain? What's wrong?"

It took Crain a few minutes, but when he was able to move he looked up at Shepard and bit his lip, the soldier confused and a little wary.

"My sala is coming. You might want to warn Captain Anderson."

* * *

Thank you~! Reviews help fuel my inspiration and questions help a lot more than you'd think!

Dash'lag= "Cryst-less, Forsaken, Deserter" (A Heretic word and insult, used on those unliked and perceived as weak.)  
Sala= Used a lot as a title, like Mr. or Mrs., and easily identified.  
Guata= Used a lot as a title, like Mr. or Mrs., and easily identified.  
Note*= Crystar aren't violent, like, at all. That shows _exactly_ how stressed Jeordan is.


	3. Playing Politics

Disclaimer: I still don't own the game, but I still did create this race. Crain is made by me.

Note: Also, the crystar home world is in a star system only one cluster over from the Citadel. There are five regions within it. Crain is from Central region, and South, North, Canyon and Forest regions all have different subtleties and quirks to them.

* * *

Crain and the sala girls were watching the humans as they scampered around, awaiting the arrival of the crystar prince's sala. When the Captain had been told, he cursed and said they'd have to attend the trial first and deal with Jeordan later. Crain understood, but he didn't exactly approve. His sala would most likely cause a scene if they were all at the trial when he arrived.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think he would just leave everything and come here." The blond apologized, ascending the steps in time with the commander's. Shepard just shook his head.

"Nothing you could have done. It was his decision, we just have to deal with it accordingly." He said, giving a brief salute as they neared Anderson. The man ushered them up to the council meeting post, where Udina was already arguing with the council fiercely. A hologram of a turian was flickering to the side, actively listening and taking part in the conversation. Half of his body seemed to have tubes running from it, covering over the usual turian armor.

Saren.

"The geth attack is a matter of some concern, but there is nothing to indicate Saren was involved in any way." The asari representative was saying, and Udina was visibly outraged.

"The investigation by Citadel Security turned up no evidence to support your charge of treason." The turian representative said, and Crain could sense a certain irritation towards the human ambassador coming from him.

"An eye witness saw him kill Nihlus in cold blood." Udina fumed, glaring up briefly at the hologram.

"We've read the Eden Prime reports, ambassador. The testimony of one traumatized dock worker is hardly compelling proof." The salarian representative responded dully. Out of the three, he seemed the most annoyed.

"I resent these accusations. Nihlus was a fellow Spectre, and a friend." Saren said, his voice filled with the proper sadness and outrage. Since he wasn't actually there, Crain had trouble figuring out what he might really be feeling. Everyone else's emotions were either highly irritated or highly angered. It gave the crystar a headache.

"That just let you catch him off guard!" Anderson exclaimed.

"Captain Anderson. You always seem to be involved when humanity makes false charges against me. And this must be your protégé, Commander Shepard. The one who let the beacon get destroyed." He sneered, and Crain felt the hairs stand up on the back of his neck in anger. Shepard didn't _let_ the beacon get destroyed; it was a self destruct mechanism.

"You're the one who destroyed the beacon! Then you tried to cover it up." The man replied hotly, glaring up at the image. Saren scoffed with a wave of his talons.

"Shift the blame to cover your own failures; just like Captain Anderson. He's taught you well, but what can you expect from a human." The Spectre said superiorly.

"Saren despises humanity! That's why he attacked Eden Prime."

"Your species needs to learn its place, Shepard. You're not ready to join the Council; you're not even ready to join the Spectres."

"He has no right to say that! That is not his decision!" Udina exploded, his anger rolling off of him in waves. Crain felt sickened by the entire conversation.

"Shepard's admittance into the Spectres is not the purpose of this meeting." The asari woman said, looking up at Saren's image.

"This meeting has no purpose. The humans are wasting your time, councilor, and mine." He said, glaring back down at the group.

"You can't hide behind the council forever!" Shepard roared, and Crain could feel the edges of the man's fingers alight with biotic energy. His rage had consumed more of his mind then it should have. Crain sent out a little tendril of pheromones to the humans to try to subtly calm them down; he felt guilty messing with their emotional climate, but it couldn't be helped.

"There is still one outstanding issue. Commander Shepard's vision; it may have been triggered by the beacon." Anderson pointed out. The council members gave each other significant looks.

"Are we allowing dreams into evidence now? How can I defend my innocence against this kind of testimony?" Saren sighed, shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head.

"I agree. Our judgment must be based off facts and evidence, not wild imaginings and reckless speculation." The turian member said, shaking his head with disbelief. The salarian member spoke up after.

"Do you have anything else to add, Commander Shepard?"

"You've made your decision, I won't waste my breath." The man said with a hard voice. Crain felt that he needed to speak up before they adjourned, and he stood up past the humans to make his presence known.

"Excuse me, councilors, but I must intervene." Everyone turned to him, most of them surprised and seeming to have forgotten he was there. "When one person has this kind of dream, it can be written off easily as just a dream. When two people from two different species share a dream of this kind, scattered and harrowing, immediately after an ancient beacon from a race of people we cannot even truly begin to comprehend explodes… I believe it has merit. I did share the same dream after feeling the more negative effects of the beacon. I believe it held the last moment of the protheans, a small data cache meant to warn us."

"Warn us of exactly what, Mr…?" the asari asked.

"Sala Crain Dunavain, of the crystar. I was accompanying the ground force that was meant to retrieve the beacon. And of what, I cannot be sure. All I saw was a large synthetic creature taking thousands of lives, killing a race I had never seen before. There were synthetic soldiers in the mix as well, but much more I cannot determine. May I continue to give my testimony to the beacon? My observations may prove more in depth than a humans." He looked over at Udina and cut the man off. "Nothing to do with feelings about your race, ambassador; my own is well in tune with energy, much like the kind that affected us during the mission."

"Very well. Continue, Sala Crain." The salarian gestured. Shepard actually gave the crystar a small smile and nod.

"From what I have heard, the beacon was inactive when it left the ground, and when it was being held. It had to have been activated by either the scientists shortly before the invasion, the geth, or some unknown that we have no physical body of evidence to support." When Anderson tried to interrupt, Crain held up his hand. "I am giving everything on a _factual_ basis, captain. Please do not interrupt." He took a deep breath before continuing. "The beacon emits an energy signal similar to that of many sources from my own home world, such as the cores of our engines, the reactors that power our cities, amongst other things. It felt maybe _too_ familiar. When Williams stepped too close, the energy snapped, reacting to an outside influence much like a security system might react to an intruder.

"I felt it try to draw her in, but I was unsure of the purpose. I felt my own energy fading as I tried and successfully threw the girl out of the beacons path. The drain was instant and painful, and I fell forward towards the beacon. It still tried to pull me in. Commander Shepard, seeing this and hearing my plea for help, managed to throw me away from the beacon. However, it took him up close, picking him up off the ground, and then the energy core clicked and the entire beacon burst out. As far as I was aware, the energy was still active. It needed to find a home, because there was too much to simply dissipate. So, Shepard and I being the closest things, we received it in the form of the data it was stored as.

"Crystar do not dream of the kinds of things I saw, councilors. We do not dream of violence, especially of this nature. When we face nightmares and night terrors, the Mother interrupts and shields us from the negative influences. No one of my race has had a true nightmare since we opened the Mass Relay, and the two sala from our engineering ships were killed by the turians. These are more accurately described as visions than dreams, ones imprinted much like our races would collect information for child production, Miss." He finished, nodding his head to the asari woman. She was actually nodding her head along with this, and the salarian seemed to be in deep thought. The turian, however, bristled.

"And what do you mean by your statement of the Mass Relays, Sala Crain?"

"Only the truth, sir. The mates to the engineers killed had nightmares of the turians killing their mates. And the thing is that they weren't truly nightmares. When we showed them the footage of the deaths later, they said it matched exactly what happened in their nightmares. They were receiving psychic imprints of the actual event, much like I believe Shepard and I have." He gave a small, sad smile. "Death is never easy for our kind, sir. You did what you thought you had to. We reacted accordingly. It is fact; we cannot dispute its existence, nor should we. It has helped us learn more about each other in the long run."

"And what about the charges against Saren? What do you have to say about that?" the salarian asked, stroking his chin in a casual posture. Crain gave a small grimace.

"I believe that the dock worker believed what he saw and heard was correct and real. He was at the scene where Nihlus was killed, Nihlus had one shot in the back, and Saren was mentioned. The dock worker most likely has never met Saren, nor would he really have, as humans say, a 'beef' with him. There is no real reason for him to lie, and even in his traumatized state, why would his mind supply the name and visage of the turian Spectre gracing us with his presence? What could he possibly get out of it? No, he was sincere in his recollection of events, and Nihlus was literally shot in the back. Going along with the hypothesis that Saren, another Spectre, turian, and as he said 'friend', killed Nihlus, it fits. Nihlus comes across the other Spectre, questions him briefly, lets his guard down around a comrade, and if said comrade was indeed up to something treasonous, then there would eventually be the perfect opportunity to deal with the problem by taking advantage of that trust.

"However… I cannot read minds, and I was _not_ there. Based off of factual evidence, the witness has some credit, but a witness to a crime with no weapon, no other backing… it's strenuous. I would not convict Saren on that alone. I feel that, in light of these accusations and the seriousness of the issue on Eden Prime, that it may be best to recall Spectre Saren from his current location and keep him close by as the investigation continues. If he were to be questioned in person, it may reveal his innocence or lack thereof to a better extent." Crain bowed his head, and the members of the council actually bowed theirs back. Saren, however, was not pleased.

"I have far more valid concerns than this witch hunt the humans have against us, little crystar." He said condescendingly, and his mandibles gnashed together in irritation. "I have work to be done, councilors; surely you won't let them distract me from my duty?"

"Saren does indeed have objectives to complete, Sala Crain. Are you going to press the issue and demand he be brought back to the Citadel?" the turian councilor asked. Crain was shocked and shook his head.

"I was not demanding, nor even asking, for Saren to be brought back. It was a simple suggestion that if he is indeed guilty of the crime, then letting him wander around far from the reach of the council is a simple yet avoidable mistake. The council may do as they wish, and it is not my people that have filed the complaint. Udina?" Crain nodded to the older human.

"He should be brought back this instant!"

"Yes, ambassador, we are aware of your stance on this issue." The salarian councilor sighed. The asari member looked carefully at the crystar.

"Is it _your_ opinion, however, that he should be?"

"I… based off of factual evidence… no. However, having been there when all of this occurred… I feel all is not right here. There are too many unknowns, and I believe that Saren should be happy to come back to prove the humans wrong, if in fact he is innocent. Would you not want to have the satisfaction of seeing their faces when they are proven wrong, Spectre?" Crain said, changing tactics swiftly. He glanced up shrewdly at the image, and he saw a brief flicker of annoyance before the turian equivalent of a smile.

"As much fun as that would be, crystar, I have far too much to get done. I am on the other side of the galaxy, attending to a top secret mission. The council is aware of this." He nodded to them, and the turian nodded quickly. The salarian and asari, however, looked speculative. After a few moments of deliberation, the asari and salarian nodded to each other and shook their heads at the turian.

"In light of everything that has happened, Saren, it may be more prudent for you to return to the Citadel while we resolve this, if only briefly. It shouldn't take too much time away from your duties, and it would be much easier with you here." The asari woman said apologetically. Saren sighed and shook his head.

"Fine. I will be there as soon as possible, but it may take awhile to reach there, ma'am."

"That is alright. Thank you for your cooperation. You are dismissed." Saren's holograph disappeared immediately. The asari smiled grimly at Crain. "Thank you for your input, Sala Crain. It has been most helpful and reasonable." The last part was emphasized a little too much as she gave a slight glare at Udina. "We have also been made aware that your sala will be arriving in the next few hours. We suggest you see to him while we arrange a more in depth investigation."

"I shall, ma'am. Thank you for your time and consideration, and may the Mother watch over you." He bowed again, and the asari woman smiled a little.

"And over you. This meeting is adjourned." The councilors all said their goodbyes and left, leaving the crystar and the humans alone. Anderson was the first one to speak.

"Thank you, son, for speaking on our behalf. You managed to get them to recall the bastard. He can't ignore a direct order." The man smiled, and Shepard clapped the blond on the back heartily, giving his shoulder a friendly squeeze.

"Good job, kid. They didn't look like they would have given it any more thought until you interrupted."

"Yes, but why were they so willing to listen to him?" Udina asked petulantly. Crain actually smiled.

"Because my people don't do politics the same way other races might. We are noted to be more honest, mistakenly naïve, by other races. We do what is best for all involved, even if it means that our race benefits the least." Crain shrugged. "We don't really have a track record for deceit, and we as a people value truth and a peaceful solution. I gave the evidence I could, and a carefully weighed thought on the matter. I didn't push, I didn't pull, and I said what needed to be said."

"Well, regardless, they have respect for you. We're thankful." Anderson said quickly before Udina could interrupt. Crain blushed lightly and smiled.

"I tried. We'll see how it turns out. Now, if you'll excuse me, my sala will be here soon, and I should see to him before he tears down the entire embassy." He paused and looked over to Shepard. "Um…."

"I'm going with you, don't worry." The man assured him, giving the crystar a crooked smile. Anderson nodded, his serious attitude returning.

"Udina, it may be best if you focus on the investigation involving Saren. I will go ahead of Shepard and Crain to see what his father wants. I suggest you stay in the embassy. Shepard, show our guest around and get something to eat. Be ready to come back to the embassy in about an hour or so. After we deal with Sala Jeordan, we'll start our own little investigation." Udina sputtered over his words as the captain led them away. Crain smiled, but on the inside he was nervous. His sala was almost here? He knew their star system was relatively close to the Citadel's, but the speed meant he had taken a priority ship, probably one of their newest models.

A model that should have been receiving maintenance.

And then there was what his sala would do when he saw humans. Crain didn't know if his sala would stay calm and rational, or try to attack the men. Whenever it came to the young crystar, Jeordan always was extremely defensive, especially after the first time the boy had been in the Citadel. Out of all those trained by the Heretics, Sala Jeordan had excelled at it, and seemed to take an unnatural joy in using his abilities that way. He said he liked the idea of being able to protect his family properly, but…

Crain had doubts. Doubts he didn't know what to do with.

"So, tell me about your father." Shepard said, shaking Crain from his thoughts. The crystar made a small face and looked up at the man. Humans and their constant use of 'mother' and 'father'. It annoyed him to no end.

"What do you want to know?" he hedged, and Shepard took a few seconds to come up with a few questions.

"He's a sala, right? I thought guata were the more aggressive ones." He said carefully, trying not to offend the crystar. Crain furrowed his brow in thought, trying to find a way to explain it.

"Let me make an analogy: You know how a human man might be more aggressive in a heterosexual relationship?" when Shepard grinned and nodded, Crain giggled. "And you know how they might be more prone to violence, but the woman gets worse if she gets angry?" Shepard winced at this and nodded again. "Basically, guata are more defensive where their family is concerned and protect them from harm. The sala, however, goes after anything that is perceived as a threat. Sala is equal to 'mama bear' on our world. It is bear, right? Not some other earth animal?"

Shepard was chuckling heavily at that, nodding his head. "Yeah, it's a bear. I can understand it now. I've never really learned that much about your people. Sala are better with biotics, right?"

"Technically, no. Sala focus on details, using their biotics specifically. Guata use their biotics with brute force and to augment their own abilities. I'm sala, and I use my biotics at a distance or up close; at a distance I tend to manipulate objects and send them along specific paths, while up close I use energy to augment my hand to hand. Guata wouldn't go fine detailed like that. My guata's favorite technique is to create a gravity field and force everything into it. My sala's favorite technique is to hit hostiles in their various pressure points, or just knock them out quietly." Crain paused to think for a few moments. "Sala use their biotics more than they use other methods, though. Guata have been outfitted with weapons and heavier armors. That's probably where the generalization comes from."

"Huh." Shepard was silent for a few minutes as they walked, Anderson already having left them for the embassy. They were walking at a leisurely pace, and the Citadel was getting ready for its night cycle. The light was dim, like the sun would have been just at the horizon of a planet. Crain looked up at Shepard, studying him casually as the man sorted his thoughts.

"If you want to know something, don't be afraid to ask. It's really hard to offend us, really." He assured the man, and he heard a throaty chuckle in response.

"Do humans seem weird to you?" he asked, and Crain just shrugged.

"I think the differences are odd, but we're not so different. Most of my kind thinks your race is an exotic version of ours." Shepard gave a sound of disbelief.

"Exotic? How?"

Crain looked up at him and gave a little blush. "Well, humans have more potential for height and muscle mass than we do. You have a larger range of skin colors, and your eyes are solid, still and unmoving, and the colors are more natural to your home world. Your voices can be deeper, and…" Crain blushed harder, shaking his head. "Crystar have always been interested in new things. We're a curious race like that. Humans look so much like us, but there are a lot of subtle differences that attract our attention. To the female crystar, your females probably appear diverse and fun. To the male crystar, your males are, well, rugged and very masculine. That appeals to a lot of them."

"Really?" Shepard made a pondering sound, a curious light in his eyes. "Most of our people talk about how much color you guys have. A lot of the girls seem jealous of your people's eye color. You're pretty exotic to us."

"I've heard of some cosmetic company you humans have that have tried to replicate our eye colors, but they haven't succeeded. Our blood dictates our color, so it's not really a surprise. It changes subtly every few minutes, never really staying one color." He said, and the man slowed and peered down at him.

"Really? I know yours are purple…." He said, and Crain just gave a bigger blush and a small smile, tilting his face down.

"Well, sometimes they are." He admitted, and Shepard leaned down.

"Can I see?" he murmured, and Crain inhaled sharply as Shepard leaned in closer, forcing him to look up at the man. He briefly looked around, finding himself alone with the man at the corner of a restaurant, out of sight and out of the way. He gave a small nod and looked directly into Shepard's eyes.

They were so _blue_. They were a solid, deep marine color that had Crain feeling chilled, goose bumps popping up over his bare arms. Shepard had decently thick eyelashes that framed the ocean deep orbs, and as Crain stared the pupils dilated slowly, more of that color appearing and seeming to swallow him whole. Crain felt a disturbed memory, something he had forgotten being pushed slowly through his mind. His hands were fidgeting slightly, and he had started to turn the ring on his finger as Shepard continued to stare into his eyes.

He felt he had been in such a similar position in that same spot.

"Your right, they're not just purple." The man breathed, his curious eyes filling with something else. Crain gulped and blinked a bit, causing the commander to chuckle and lean back.

"What color are they now?" he asked shyly, biting his lip gently and looking up at the man. Mother, but he was tall.

"They start out pink in the middle, but then they start turning light purple, getting darker as they near the edge. They even swirl a little, and it looks… it looks like I'm looking through a really thick glass; like there's something on the other side." He said, giving the crystar that strange look again, before he smiled and shook his head. "I can see why people are jealous; they're beautiful."

Crain swore his heart had stopped; Commander Shepard had just called his eyes beautiful. No, he had called his _people's_ eyes beautiful. Had he?

"Well, we have plenty of time before we have to get back. Are you hungry?" The man asked casually, nodding his head towards the restaurant. Crain nodded quickly and flashed the man a smile, and then headed into the restaurant. The smell of pizza and other world foods graced his senses, and he inhaled deeply. He missed pizza.

"Have you ever been here before?" Shepard asked, waiting next to the crystar as a human waitress came over to them. Her eyes brightened as they recognized the blond. Crain smiled at her and gave a small wave.

"Table for two, Sala Crain? Or are you waiting on your guata?" she asked, and Crain told her just two. Shepard just shook his head and laughed as she led them to his table in the middle.

"I'm a regular here. It's one of my favorite restaurants on the Citadel. I've been known to be a pizza addict." He cringed lightly. "Unfortunately, I can't eat that much. It's too dense for me to eat more than three slices."

"I eat as much as I can."

"Fatty." Crain joked, and they laughed briefly before paying attention to the girl.

"Your usual pepperoni and acai berry drink?" she asked, and Crain nodded. She turned to Shepard and smiled cutely, tucking a hair behind her ear. "And you, sir?"

"I'll share a pizza with him and have a beer, preferably anything home brewed."

"We have Barlen and Frued's brand here. Is that alright?" he nodded and she jotted it down, smiling up at them and telling them that their meal would be out in a few minutes.

"I don't understand how you humans can drink beer. It tastes so… weird." The crystar wrinkled his nose at the memory of it. The man just shrugged and gave him a smirk.

"Beer's just beer. Hell, I don't even know why we drink it. You get used to it after a while."

"Brainwashing at its finest, maybe?" Crain giggled as the waitress set down the drinks and asked if they needed anything else. They shook their heads and sipped at their beverages.

"Who knows." The commander shrugged and leaned back in his chair casually. "I was wondering…"

When Shepard didn't finish, Crain looked up at him curiously. "What do you want to know?"

"I know your blood color and eye color match, but I've noticed the few crystar I've met had very different colors. How does that work?" he asked politely, still hoping he wouldn't offend the crystar. Crain simply nodded thoughtfully and sipped at his fizzy juice.

"It's a common thing of interest to other races. Our blood is the key to how we work, after all, and the salarians have been trying to get us to allow them to study us. Well, we have colors based off the general spectrum. We don't go ultra violet or infrared, our bodies wouldn't be able to handle those wavelengths. It is kinda long, though, so it might take a bit."

"We've got time, and I'm curious."

"Well… okay. We have several different shades of the different colors, but we follow the basic guidelines. Purple, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange… and red. The faster the wavelength, or the warmer the color, the more likely they will be guata in their genetic makeup. My sala has blue blood, and I fall within the purple range. The pink is kind of a genetic defect, like albinism amongst your species, yes?" Shepard nodded as he understood. "I am a sala, and I'm very powerful in biotics because of my color and that little defect. The warmer your color is, the stronger and more sturdy you are built, but the weaker your biotics will generally be. Our color is dictated by the amounts of eezo in our veins, and the different crystal compounds we have in our bodies. We're called the crystar because we are "one with the crystal".

"It also kind of affects our mannerism, or how we act. Violets and indigos are almost always gentle, and we tend to be more active and carefree. Blues and greens tend to be more intellectual and grounded, and they _can_ be guata on occasion. Yellows and oranges are always guata, never sala, and they're protective and strong willed." He sipped at his drink more and sighed. Shepard noticed.

"What about red? What are they like?" Crain winced at that and shook his head.

"I guess I get to tell you about Heretics now. No one within the cities has red blood or eyes anymore. The warmest color we get is what my guata has; an amber color. Heretics all have red blood and are… unnatural, almost. When they're born, they have the most limited of biotic abilities, and the eezo in their blood is thick and unstable. They are very, very physically strong, and they tend to be more inclined to violence and aggressive behaviors. They also live the longest. The Heretics were banned from society because we thought they would disrupt the peace. It was a long, long time ago, but they developed their own clans and society. They don't mind killing their food, so they actually eat meat on our home world. We generally only eat meat off world because we don't like killing animals."

"But you know they had to kill animals to get you the meat, right?" Shepard asked.

"Well, yes, but it's just the act of killing it ourselves that disturbs us. If it's already dead, why not partake? In the past half a century or so, the Heretics have come to our markets and sold their meats to us. We like the taste, but we would feel guilty if we killed it ourselves. Anyways, the Heretics were banned because they argued against Mother, saying she was inspiring us to be weak, defenseless. About a decade before their exile, we had discovered the Mass Relay. We knew what it was, we knew what it would do, so we simply ignored it. We didn't want to bring in violence and death. The Heretics said violence would come to us and kill our kind off if we didn't learn to fight.

"They were right in the end, but that only came two centuries later. They were never seen until we realized the need for their training and support as a part of the crystar people. At first, the Heretics scoffed and said we were too weak to learn; they just made a military and decided to defend us themselves. When we opened the relays, and turians came through… well, they caught us off guard. We didn't expect visitors so soon. The Heretics weren't defending that particular engineer ship, and the turians managed to kill the engineers on duty. The other crystar on board panicked and used everything they had to trap the invaders. The Heretics were ordered not to kill, only to disable, and they did so marvelously. However, it cost the lives of two of our most beloved scientists, and they were the first lives ever lost by the hand of another as far as we could remember.

"The Heretics agreed to train us to defend ourselves after that. Their entire discipline, their belief, is that the body can transcend into a heightened state of being when they are in combat. They believe in the Mother, but they choose to ignore her love because they wish to become strong and enjoy the adrenaline, they enjoy the violence. They still tend to live apart from our community, but they have integrated back into our society as soldiers and military officials. They make excellent troops, but they tend to think of themselves as another race entirely; that makes it difficult to work with them on occasion.

"We've done wrong by them, we know that. We were afraid of anger, afraid to feel that much burning passion. We still are, but we might have to embrace it soon. The Heretics are treated with respect and a little fear, but that's normal. Their red color is… strange to experience. It can't be properly described to an outsider, really. You'll probably meet one during your lifetime, especially since you're military yourself." Crain stopped as the pizza came, smelling of cheese and meat and tomato sauce {he had learned about the strange fruit and found its history amusing; even humans thought it was a vegetable at first}, and they both dug in to the warm food. Shepard seemed to swallow his first piece whole as he looked up at the crystar. He swallowed hard and gave a smile.

"It's been a while since lunch." They both chuckled and nodded. Shepard seemed curious again, though; Crain could see the way his eyes shifted when he wanted to ask a question but wasn't sure if he should.

"Yes?" the man raised his brow and gave the blond a wry smirk.

"I was going to ask how long your people lived; you made it sound like my lifetime was different to yours."

"That's because it is." Crain smiled sadly. "Your race is considered very short lived amongst most in the galaxy, except for the salarians. The color of our blood normally dictates how old we'll become. Yellows and greens generally live about three hundred years, and blues and orange colors live about four hundred years. Indigos and purples live a little past that, some of them reaching five hundred, and Heretics live extremely long lives; their life span is almost equal to the asari."

"They can live to be a thousand years old?" Shepard asked incredulously, though it was muffled behind his hand. The man had already decimated four slices while the crystar had been talking. Crain took a moment to gather two more slices for his own plate before gesturing.

"Yes. That's another reason we were wary of them; they had too much lifespan. We think that's why they started to drift away from Mother; because they died so long after they had first felt her love." He shrugged and started on his second slice. "Our life span, however, has seemed to come at a cost; we don't have children as often. We try, though, but the crystals just seem to grow and then crumble before they reach a mature state."

"Crystals?"

"Okay, too much to explain, so I'm going to give you a crash course. You know how the asari go scrambling in their mates brain for genetic traits and information to create a child?" Shepard nodded after a second. "We do something similar. We have to be in physical contact, though, because our bodies kind of absorb a bit of material while we do the mind meld process. We need about three sessions of mind melding to be able to retain enough information to safely make a child, and we always meld with a mate. Once we mate with someone, we mate for life. If they die, we don't normally mate again. After the mating is done, we use our energy fields… differently. The process is hard to explain, but we basically create a little crystal that we place in a little incubator, like an egg."

"Wait, does that mean you guys don't have belly buttons?" the man asked seriously, an extremely bewildered look on his face. Crain laughed.

"It's one of the mysteries of our kind; we actually do. However, we think it's because the Mother made us in her image, so we're all built pretty thin, and we have nipples, navel, all that. Anyways, we wait for the crystal to grow, and at a certain stage a child starts to grow within the crystal. The crystal grows until the child turns six years of age, all of those years which it is aware of its surroundings and is with the Mother. We come out knowing how to speak, knowing the basics of life, and expecting love and someone to give love. However, crystals have been failing to grow large enough to make the child lately. It's kind of sad. It's the only way to create children."

"So your men and women never get together?" Shepard asked, and the glint in his eye confused Crain.

"No, it hasn't been done in millennia. We stick with our own gender because it's familiar and feels right to us. We know a few races have judged us because they see us as homosexual entities, but there really is no sexuality like that. Sala means you're interested in guata, and guata means you're interested in sala. It's all gender exclusive, but it's been that way for forever. We didn't even understand what some of your people said to us until we had a database give us the history of the slurs and words. Then we were just appalled." He sighed. "I'm glad your people have kind of given it a push in the right direction. I've read some about your history, how it wasn't always easy for a homosexual human in the world."

"Eh, nowadays saying 'I'm gay' is like saying 'I like blonds'." He said smoothly, shrugging his shoulders and grinning at the crystar. Crain blushed.

"Or saying 'I like cocky marines', right?" he countered, and the commander gave him a winning smile before finishing off his last slice. After he put his plate on the pizza plate and pushed it aside, he leaned forward with his elbows on the table.

"Cocky? Marines aren't cocky. We're just sure of ourselves, strong willed." He offered, and Crain giggled mirthfully.

"Last time I was told, cocky meant all those things, sometimes more."

"It is what it is." He admitted, draining his beer and sitting back. He looked at his comm tool briefly, the orange glow disappearing just as quickly as it came. "It's been an hour since we came in. Anderson's probably going to call us in soon. Did you want to go anywhere before we headed back to the embassy?"

"Not really. I'm sure I'll need to prepare our poor girls for the invading storm." He sighed, and the waitress came over with her credit taker, smiling.

"Did everyone have a good meal?" they nodded and murmured their thanks, and Shepard took the credit taker before Crain could take it. Crain raised a brow as the man handed it back to her, having paid it fully. Shepard just shrugged.

"What? My treat." He smirked, getting up and offering Crain a hand. He just shook his head and took it, yanked up quickly and almost fell over onto the man. Shepard caught him before he could fall and his smirk grew more pronounced. "Careful there."

Crain blushed all the way back to the embassy.

* * *

~*.*~

Sala Jeordan Dunavain was standing in front of a mirror, crying as he inspected his eyes.

He had been rapidly making plans, yelling orders at the top of his lungs as his fury reined. Everyone had gathered round and frantically tried to abide his wishes, his demands. They had gotten the fastest ship off of the queue for upgrades, preparing it for travel to the Citadel. He got together the best crew he had, all of them coming in from leave willingly when he told them it concerned his son, his mana. Vrael had accompanied him silently, the mark on his eye fading.

Jeordan hadn't meant to hit him with his energy tendrils, but he was so suddenly angered. One moment, he was going up to his mate with worry and ask if he had seen their child, and the next he felt like throttling the man and yelling profanities.

Pure anger, something he hated feeling. Something he shouldn't have felt for something so little.

Then, after he had his chat with his son, reassured that he was alive and well, he learned that his precious mana had had a near death experience, and had been asleep for three days before he could return from the Mother's meadow. Thus his rage and frantic speed as they made their way to the Citadel immediately. After he had gotten on board, he had retired to his cabin and cried, outright bawled and curled up on himself. His emotions were so out of check, so strong and uncontrolled, that he started to panic.

He took half an hour to calm himself down enough to move. When he felt he could get to the bathroom, he stumbled in and flicked on the light. He was quite prepared to see himself looking like a mess in the mirror; what he hadn't planned on was his eyes glowing red around the pupil, and the veins around his eyes growing dark. The energy in his blood was spiked, as if he had been training for an hour in the facility. He was, for the first time in his ninety-three years, scared.

"Jeordan? Are you okay?" a somewhat disgruntled voice sighed outside. Vrael.

"I'm fine!" he called, but his voice was wavering with tears, and he knew it wouldn't fool the man. Vrael paused before trying to open the door, the handle jiggling harder when he realized it was locked.

"Mi ashra, open the door please." He called urgently, the handle jiggling harder. The dark haired man just bit back another sob and wiped at his eyes, impatiently waiting for them to return to normal. After a few minutes, Vrael stopped trying to force his way in. "Jeordan, what is wrong? Please let me in. I'm not angry, I swear it. I just wish to talk this out, love."

"I'm sorry, I just… I just need a minute, okay?" the sala called out, sniffling in the background. Vrael paused for a moment before he spoke.

"We're nearing our destination. Will you be ready to be move through C-sec? If not, I can simply bring Crain aboard." His mate said somewhat tersely. He wasn't amused, that was for sure.

"I… I'll be fine. Just give me a second to clean up."

"Fine." After a couple of seconds, the cabins door could be heard sliding open and closed, leaving Jeordan truly alone for a few minutes. When he dared to look at his reflection, the red had dimmed down and turned a rusty, dark red. The ring was smaller than it had been, and was getting smaller as the crystar examined it.

"What in the name of the Mother are you?" he asked the diminishing line.

* * *

~*.*~

Crain had _never_ seen his parents so distant.

Vrael was stony faced and staring at the ground as Jeordan spoke. The boy's guata was rigid and entirely too still, his irritation setting off of him in waves. Crain could literally feel the tension building in the man, and Jeordan just ignored it completely. In fact, Jeordan made a point of blaiming his mate early on in the argument, outright ripping him a new one in front of the humans, telling him he had no power here and he shouldn't have dared to make such a contract without communication.

Now they were on the topic of Crain being a risk taker and how that could have been disastrous. First, Jeordan had come in blazing about the humans' ignorance, then moving on to Crain himself. He should have known that he wasn't _just_ there to see the drive, and should have been _more_ than aware that something was afoot. And it was his _birthday_ for crying out loud, he should have _known_ that his sala would never let that be taken up by aliens, least of all humans, and-

"Sala, I love you, but I am not in the mood for your sudden tantrums. You need to calm yourself and take a breath." He interrupted, his voice stern and a little irritated as well. Jeordan stopped abruptly and stared at his son with a slack jaw.

"I agree. You've embarrassed us enough." Vrael said coldly. "I'm not going to listen to this anymore; when you want to talk, son, please come see me up at the Flux."

With that, Vrael left without another look at his mate. Jeordan seemed to flare up before Crain sent a sharp little jab at him with his biotics. The dark man's eyes darted to his son's in shock.

"You have no reason, nor right to embarrass guata like that! He is your mate, and he made an error; you should be understanding and reasonable instead of acting like this. It is beyond childish, and someone your age and status should know this! Mother would be _ashamed_." Crain hissed, leaning in and glaring at his sala. Jeordan blinked a few times in surprise before stepping back and rubbing a hand over his head. Crain felt a twinge of regret at the mention of Mother; that may have hurt him more than necessary.

"I… I'm sorry, I have been feeling unwell." He glanced at the humans as if noticing them for the first time, putting on an air of diplomacy. "Allow me to finish this plainly, then. Crain may do as he wishes, and the contract is still very much intact. To make it easier on this, I suggest that my son go with the commander on his mission and render aid where necessary and helpful. Is this agreeable to you, Commander?" the man said tiredly. Mother, but he sounded worse than before. Shepard nodded, smirking grimly.

"Yes. I'd love to have Crain along."

"Is this agreeable to you, mi mana?"

"Yes, mi sala." Crain sighed, relieved that his sala had deflated. Unfortunately, Udina reared his unusually unattractive human head.

"Now wait a minute, we did not agree-," Shepard actually held a hand up and gave a quick sound of distaste.

"Ambassador, we're actively working together on a mission both of us are involved in. Crain can provide a great amount of expertise and knowledge to this investigation, and will be a valuable asset along the way. Save some of your pride, we're all tired and we've had a long day." The commander also gave a dangerous eye to the man, a dark smile tinting his lips. "I'd also like to remind you that this _should_ bring our two people closer together; isn't that always a good thing out here? Unless you have something against the crystar."

Udina didn't have an argument for that. Not in front of the aliens he might horribly offend if he said the wrong thing.

Crain smiled falsely and cleared his throat. "Now that that has been handled… sala? I suggest you go back to our embassy and wait there. Sala Faye will take care of you. I will go hunt down guata. Shepard, you don't have to accompany me, this is a personal matter."

"You sure?" he asked, and his voice was tainted with worry. "The Flux is down in the wards."

"It's not like I'm going to Chora's Den, Shepard. My people are always dancing at Flux." He reassured the man. He didn't look convinced, but he didn't press the issue either. Crain turned to his sala and paused at the defeated posture the other crystar put off. "Maybe you should go rest, sala. You do look rather unwell, and I doubt you'll be leaving tonight."

"Yes… I think I'll go lay down. But…" he looked worried. "I'm a mess. I can't believe I snapped at your guata like that."

"I can't either. In fact, it doesn't seem normal at all. Have you been to the healer yet? Maybe they can find what's wrong." He said as he led them both towards the crystar embassy. Faye was waiting by the door as they entered, a glass of water and a couple of pills in her hands.

"Actually, no, I haven't. I'll see to it when I get back home." The man looked up at the girl, curiously eyeing the items in her hand. "You must be Sala Faye."

"Yes, your majesty. The healer has actually sent his report back from home. Apparently, Guata Dunavain had filed a health report and had asked to be notified of any alleviation that could be given. The healer suggested that you have been malnourished lately, and that combined with stress could impact your emotional state. These are nutrient supplements that should help your majesty." She relayed, her sparkling green eyes looking up at him with genuine concern. Jeordan smiled slightly and took them from her.

"Oh, Vrael… thank you, child." He sighed heavily before he popped the pills in his mouth and sipped the water slowly. After he had gotten them down and taken a seat in one of the lounge couches, he looked up at his son with tired, dark eyes. "Please, mi mana, go to your guata and see what you can do. I have much to answer for, and much to be ashamed of."

"Yes, sala. Faye? Please keep an eye on him." He whispered as he made a swift pass by her, hurrying towards the human embassy.

He hadn't been crazy. His sala's eyes had held, in those last few moments, a slight red ring around the edges of the pupil. The veins under the eyelids and coming from the temples were more pronounced, darker. Something was _very_ wrong with his sala.

He dashed into the human embassy, surprising the humans in the room as he made his way to a terminal. Udina regarded him suspiciously, and Shepard came forward with his hand on his holster. The man was about to say something when Crain just held up his hand.

"Sorry, can't use the terminal in my embassy, sala is there, need to contact medical doctor from my world. Udina? Please?" he said quickly, already setting up a connection and putting in the contact. The older man sighed and just waved him off, going back to his paperwork. Shepard came up behind the blond and leaned in over his shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

"My sala has something wrong with his eyes. Something wrong with the eyes generally means something wrong with the blood, maybe a viral infection, possibly trace amounts of crystal hemorrhaging in the bloodstream from the heart, who knows? I need to contact a friend of mine, Vyne, to see if he knows anything. He is incredibly intelligent and graduated the medical university when he turned fourteen. That was eight years ago, and he's already competing with salarians on his medical research." There was a light sound and a screen popped up, showing a medical lab surrounded in white. "Oh, thank the Mother."

A crystar in a generic researcher's uniform stepped up and sat down gracefully, adjusting the screen to see his small frame. He had a very light, pale jade color to his eyes, glittering in an almost solid state to an observer. His white blonde hair had strands of light green in them, with a few streaks of darker shades gracing the ends. His hair curled back in a wild storm, like a frozen waterfall, and it reached down to just below his ears beautifully. His face was small, petite, with a porcelain look to it that set off the veins around his eyes with a pale glow. He looked almost ethereal, his eyes almost white from afar. He was also short and remarkably thin for a crystar, about five foot six in height.

He was staring at the screen for a second, frowning slightly. He seemed to touch it for a few moments before he found the message and smiled brightly.

"Crain! How are you, my amethyst? It has been awhile since we last spoke." The other crystar lilted, his cadence definitely different than Crain's. Shepard noticed and gave Crain a confused look.

"He's from the northern parts of our home world; they have lighter and more solid shades of coloring due to different chemical exposure. Also, they're extremely polite and refer to their loved ones as the gemstones they represent in color. Amethyst is the closest I come to naturally." Crain whispered in aside before turning to his friend. "My jade! I know it's been awhile, I'm so sorry. I was working with my parents on some important intergalactic affairs. This is Commander Shepard of the human's Alliance organization. I'm in the human embassy briefly, but I needed to ask you something important."

"Oh? Please, ask."

"Do you know of an illness or condition where the eyes will grow a red ring around the pupil, and the veins surrounding the eyes turn darker and noticeably more pronounced? It was brief, but it was noticeable. Other symptoms include extreme cases of aggravation, aggression, or anger." He listed nervously, watching as Vyne paled.

"Have you been noticing these things yourself, Crain?" he asked with worry, quickly picking up a data pad and typing away at it. Crain shook his head.

"It's not me… it's my sala." That made the pale blond look up with widened eyes.

"Oh… dear." He shook his head and continued typing. "Those symptoms are rather specific. I believe there was something… how large was the ring around his eye? How much did it take up?"

"About a third of it at first, but it started to go down as I held eye contact."

"How far out did the veins get?"

"Um, down to the cheek bones, but they receded as we spoke as well."

"How angry was he when he vented?"

"He was acting like an enraged human. Sorry." He threw over his shoulder. Shepard shrugged.

"It sounds like he has a viral infection. I have currently three cases of this on the outskirts of the Vahalah region on our home world, and your palace is on the fringes of it. The condition seems to be quite rare, indicating active contact with the contaminant was necessary. Has your sala been in contact with any unknown fungus, insect, mutation or radiated biotic spheres in the past two months?" Vyne asked, looking up at the screen critically. Crain blinked before shrugging.

"That, I do not know, but I know he and guata went out on a little eclipse trip two weeks ago." He blushed, wrinkling his nose. Vyne gave a brief smile in sympathy.

"Alone time, huh? Well, has your guata shown signs of having the same thing?" he asked, pulling up another data pad and clicking around.

"No. in fact, his irritation was well justified and controlled. Sala actually slapped him for a…. minor mistake he made." Crain looked up at Shepard as he said this, aware that he probably shouldn't reveal too much about their mission. The man nodded slightly and they both looked back at Vyne. The boy actually seemed scandalized, shock written across his face.

"I am sorry." He gulped and worked rapidly on the data pads, flicking between them for a few moments before looking back up at the pair. "Unfortunately, we are in the darkness concerning this condition. We have it on our queue, but I will move it forward immediately. The other three patients have been brought in for tests, but none of them have actually grown violent, simply more aggressive. Your sala has a blue strain, correct?"

"Yes, Blue, Celestite with sodalite undercoat, I believe."

Vyne looked down, fiddled with something for a few seconds, and then looked back up with an eyebrow raised. "Two of the other patients carry over the Celestite, the other one carries a Lapis structure. That is... possibly coincidental. However, I must insist that your sala comes in to have this treated, Crain."

He sighed. "I had a feeling. I'll tell guata when I see him in an hour and he'll know what to do. Thank you for looking into it, my jade. Keep me updated? I'll either be at the embassy or on the Normandy. I'm most likely going to be travelling with them soon, so… yeah. Thanks again."

"It was my pleasure to assist you. If you need anything in the future, simply call and I'll be there." The white blond crystar said sincerely, placing his hands over his heart. "Mother hold you in her loving embrace, friend."

"And you, my jade." The call blinked out and Crain sighed heavily. Shepard looked him over.

"You look like you could use a beer." He laughed when Crain made a face and got up.

"What I need is to go see guata. He'll know what to do when I explain it to him. I just hope he hasn't gotten too drunk to reason with." Crain headed to the embassy doors and turned around when Shepard followed.

"Why? What happens when a crystar gets drunk?" he asked curiously. Crain blushed heavily and looked down.

"We dance."

* * *

~*.*~

Crain was mortified.

Shepard had insisted on accompanying him through the wards, saying that it was dangerous to go anywhere alone if you didn't have a military look to you. Crain thought that was just him being silly, but when they actually came across a group of seedy looking mercenaries who eyed him strangely, he changed his mind. He was glad to have the human walking confidently beside him. Though powerful in biotics, his race wasn't exactly known for looking all that tough.

However, when he entered the club… it was horrible. His guata, his faithful, strong, doting guata was dancing in the arms of some handsome human male wearing an Alliance uniform. Crain was, at first, frozen to the spot in shock. It couldn't be _his_ guata dancing there; it had to be a trick of the lighting. But when another, even more attractive human male came up to dance with them, and the crystar practically draped himself over them both, Crain could see the neon glimmer of amber gazing out lazily from his lids. That was indeed his guata.

He was drunk. And since there weren't any crystar around to dance with… he was dancing with humans. Humans interested in more than a dance.

"Is _that_ your guata?" Shepard asked, brows raised. Crain swallowed heavily and gave a grimace.

"Not at the moment. Currently, that is Vrael Dunavain, drunk out of his mind and looking for friendly contact." There was another sharp intake of breath as his guata reeled in the new man, leaning back against the other and grinding into them both. The Alliance men high fived as they danced close together, almost obscuring the thinner man between them. Shepard shook his head.

"I can say I've never seen a crystar drunk before." He said lightly, trying not to make it worse. Crain just buried his face in his hands.

"When our race discovered alcohol, shortly after the first contact… we experimented. I've never taken it, but it acts like a psychedelic drug on us. Colors grow brighter, glinting as if the sun shone from within, and our bodies respond heavily to touch. We turn very, very sensual, and if you get a group of sala together and get them drunk, they tend to… to be quite the show." He shook his head and cleared his throat. "Excuse me while I go extract my guata from a terrible, terrible situation."

Crain walked forward, nervously, trying to be stern but unable to pull up enough bravado. He found it hard to breathe the closer he got, until he turned tail and tried to run. He bumped right into Shepard, who stood there looking down at him casually.

"Need help?" he smirked, and Crain smiled back thinly and nodded. He went around the crystar, patting his shoulder as he strolled towards the little group dancing. The alliance officers, not recognizing him, nodded and smirked right back when he came up to them. However, as Shepard started to explain something, they frowned and shrugged, starting to ignore them. Shepard stood up a little taller and said something else, and the men froze and immediately fell back into attention, saluting him and blabbering their apologies. The commander just gave them a hand and told them something else, and they relaxed and shrugged, dancing with each other.

Vrael, however, didn't understand.

"I was having quite a bit of fun there, young man, and I don't appreciate you… you trying to make me not have fun. Unless, of course, you wanted to have fun yourself. Then… then we can work it out!" Crain's guata slurred slightly, delicately. When his people got drunk, they seemed to float on air and their voices took on an alluring lilt. Crain was appalled at the level of depravity the man had gone to, and he shook his head angrily as they neared each other.

"Guata!" he hissed, causing the man to turn around and eye his son. When he recognized him, however, he smiled.

"There's my favorite son! What are you doing here, mi mana? Surely you wouldn't be caught doing something so naughty?" he laughed lightly, draping his arm over his sons shoulder and leaning in close. His breath smelled heavily of flowers from off world, something Crain had heard happened after they had imbibed too much of the toxic substance.

"Like you were doing?" he snapped, and his guata laughed and stroked his nose lovingly.

"You'd like them. I was just dancing, but I could feel that they wanted more. Unfortunately, I am a mated man, and they are not my type, but _you_…. You need a guata of your own, right? They're very strong; nice muscles, sturdy frame. They're both tall, and handsome. They seem nice too! That darker one over there, though…." He pointed at the pair, who glanced over and noticed him. They waved, and he waved back. "The darker one has a little hair on him, which is so exotic, isn't it?"

"Yes, guata, it is so very exotic." He dead panned, blinking at the man. His guata continued without even acknowledging it.

"Well, I bet you could have fun with those two. I suggest the darker one, though. He's very sure of himself in the way he moves, and you know what they say about confident humans, mi mana!" he laughed hysterically, almost falling over the younger crystar. Crain had had about enough, grabbed his guata by the shoulders, and then when he was steady he slapped him.

Hard.

Shepard caught him before he hit the floor, knocked unconscious, and he set him up on his shoulder. "Want to give me a hand here?"

"Thank you." He said, hooking his guata's other arm around his shoulders and carrying as much weight as he could. The man may have appeared thin, but he was far heavier than Crain felt he should be.

"Hey, whatever works, right?"

* * *

~*.*~

"Oh dear… Sala Dunavain has retired to his room at the Prodigy for the evening. What happened?" Faye fluttered about as they brought the unconscious Vrael in. Crain smiled sweetly up at her.

"Oh, don't mind him. He got drunk, and he was being silly; so I slapped him. Anyways, we'll leave him here to get sober. If he wakes up, tell him to check the panel. I'm going to leave him a very detailed message, and he better understand the urgency of it. And no matter what happens, do _not_ let him eat something fruity after he wakes up. Grease, he needs lots of grease." Crain instructed, and the girl's eyes widened a bit as she nodded. "The pizza shop will be the best place, they've dealt with lesser degrees of this idiocy before."

"Wakes up, pizza shop, get him the message, makes sure he understands how important he is. Got it. Anything else sir?"

"I'm probably going to be on business when he awakens, so tell him he can speak with me later. And that I am not amused." Crain got up, patted his guata on the head lightly, and turned to the door. "Thank you, Sala Faye. Have a wonderful day."

Crain was irritable the rest of his.

First he had to wait for the humans to get ready for their investigation, which led to a stoic Kaidan and a racist Ashley accompanying Shepard as they made their way around the Citadel. At first, they were trying to follow leads into Saren, but then they had to go through all the trouble of looking up criminals, going through mercenaries, dealing with C-sec on numerous occasions; there were even assassins trying to kill Shepard when they got close to Chora's den. They met a turian who insisted on going with them, and a mercenary krogan named Wrex.

Wrex was nicer to him than Ashley was.

Then they proceeded to storm the gentleman's club, killing all the mercenaries they encountered until they got inside. Shepard managed to convince the last line of defense, dock workers, to go and leave peacefully before they came up into Fist's office and demanded to know what he knew about a quarian in danger.

Of course she was meeting assassins in the back alleys of the wards. Where else would she be?

Crain was shocked when Wrex shot the man several times in the face, but he actually didn't feel sorry. Fist was a monster, and Wrex had a contract. The death made him uneasy, but he wasn't going to argue with the krogan over it. After that, they raced to find said quarian being cornered by a turian and two salarians; those three didn't last long. She was grateful, though, offering to go with them to Udina's office and show them the evidence she had against Saren.

It was definitely enough to convince the Counsel.

So here he stood, facing the delegates next to Shepard and the humans. Udina had actually requested, albeit reluctantly, that he be present. The council seemed to favor the crystar over the old, bitter human.

Crain smiled on the inside from the knowledge.

"Eden Prime was a major victory. The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the conduit." Saren's voice played out in front of the council, causing alarmed noises to escape their lips. The recording continued to the woman's voice that had followed.

"And one step closer to the return of the reapers."

"You wanted proof? There it is." Udina said sourly, pointing out at the council. They took a second to collect themselves before answering.

"This evidence is irrefutable, ambassador. Saren will be stripped of his Spectre status, and all efforts will be made to bring him in to answer for his crimes." The turian councilor assured them. Crain could practically feel the turian's embarrassment over the issue; turians had an honor code that Saren had broken. It made them all look bad.

"I recognize the other voice, the one speaking with Saren. Matriarch Beneziah." The asari councilor frowned, looking back towards the group. Shepard came forward and frowned.

"Who is she?"

"Matriarchs are powerful asari who have entered the final stage of their lives, revered for their wisdom and experience. They serve as guides and mentors to my people. Matriarch Beneziah is a powerful biotic and she had many followers; she will make a formidable ally for Saren." She finished. The salarian looked up and glanced between the humans.

"I'm more interested in the reapers. What do you know about them?" the salarian councilor asked, his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Only what was extracted from the geth's memory core." Anderson replied. "The Reapers were an ancient race of machines that wiped out the protheans. Then they vanished."

"The geth believe the reapers are gods, and Saren is the prophet for their return." Shepard supplied, and Crain nodded.

"The reapers are spoken of in Heretic lore. When the Heretics left our people and moved on into the Crystal Canyons, they found ruins there of a technology similar to protheans. However, after further study, it was revealed that the prothean technology was newer than these found models. The ruins were thousands and thousands of years older. They managed to salvage some data caches before the entire area fell apart, but the translations provided spoke of the Cruel Machina; later translated to us as the Reapers." Crain said earnestly, gazing up at the council. "We thought it was myth, or just a long lost legend. We didn't even believe machines could have a mind truly of their own at that point, so we disregarded it as a children's story. But this conduit business was discussed as well, though the translations were shaky and the data had corrupted at that point."

"We think the conduit is the key to bringing them back. Saren's searching for it. That's why he attacked Eden Prime." Anderson finished.

"Do we even know what this conduit is?"

"Saren thinks it can bring back the reapers. That's about enough, don't you think?" Shepard commented, frowning slightly at the salarian's tone.

"Listen to what you're saying. Saren wants to bring back the machines that wiped all life from the galaxy? Impossible. It has to be! Where did the reapers go? How did they vanish? How come we have found no trace of their existence? If they were real, we'd have found something." The turian exclaimed, his irritation present in his body language and gnashing mandibles. Crain shook his head.

"I tried to warn you about Saren, and you refused to face the truth. Don't make the same mistake again." The commander said hotly, snorting and turning his head aside.

"This is different." The asari councilor interrupted. "You proved Saren betrayed the council, that he's using the geth to search for the conduit, but we don't really know why.

"The Reapers are obviously just a myth, commander. A convenient lie to cover Saren's true purpose, a legend he is using to bend the geth to his will."

"Fifty thousand years ago, the Reapers wiped out all galactic civilization. If Saren finds the conduit, it will happen again." He said angrily, his eyes hard and his voice cold. Crain felt he needed to interrupt.

"You refused to believe the Commander until he had proof on Saren. By the time we have proof of the Reaper's existence and involvement, they could already have arrived to repeat what they have done before. I beg you, councilors, do not treat this as a distant affair."

"Saren is a rogue agent on the run for his life. He no longer has the rights or resources of a Spectre. The council has stripped him of his position."

"That is not good enough!" Udina shouted, stepping forward again. "You know he is hiding somewhere out in the traverse. Send your fleet in!"

"A fleet cannot track down one man." The salarian said logically. Udina shook his head and frowned, worry tinting his eyes.

"A Citadel fleet could secure the entire region, keep the geth from attacking any more of our colonies!" he almost seemed to plead. Crain agreed, if the Citadel sent in even a few of their forces, the geth would have pause to attack anymore of the colonies. The humans were still very fragile, their colonies small compared to others like the turians and asari.

"Or it could trigger a war with the terminus systems. We won't be dragged into a galactic confrontation over a few dozen human colonies." The turian said bluntly. The humans bristled at those words.

"Every time humanity asks for help, you ignore us!" Shepard snapped, and Crain felt the uncomfortable wave of anger rolling off of the men around him.

"Shepard's right! I'm sick of this council and its anti-human bull-," Udina yelled, but the asari councilor cut him off sharply.

"Ambassador! There is another solution. A way to stop Saren that does not require fleets or armies." She said, and the turian turned to her irritably.

"No! It's too soon! Humanity is not ready for the responsibilities that come with joining the Spectres.

"You don't have to send a fleet into the traverse, and the ambassador gets his human Spectre. Everybody's happy." Shepard said bluntly, crossing his arms and arching a brow. After a few seconds of deliberation, the councilors all nodded and typed away at their consoles before looking back up. Crain could feel everyone's eyes on their group, all the diplomats and representatives leaning against the rails and watching.

"Commander Shepard, step forward." Crain took a step back as the man walked to the front, upright and proud. "It is the decision of the council that you be granted all the powers and privileges of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch of the Citadel."

"Spectres are not trained, they are chosen. Individuals forged in the fire of service and battle, those whose actions elevate them above the rank before them." The salarian said, crossing his arms.

"Spectres are an ideal, a symbol, the embodiment of courage, determination and self reliance. They are the right hand of the Council, instruments of our will." The asari said, smiling slightly down at them.

"Spectres bear a great burden. They are protectors of galactic peace, both our first and last line of defense. The safety of the galaxy is theirs to uphold." The turian finished, his gaze bearing down on the commander heavily.

"You are the first human Spectre, Commander. This is a great accomplishment for you and your entire species."

"I'm honored, councilor." He replied, bowing his head and giving a quirky smile towards the crystar when he caught his eye. Crain just snorted and rolled his eyes, smiling proudly at his friend. The salarian continued after the initial part of the ceremony was completed.

"We are sending you into the traverse after Saren. He is a fugitive from justice, so you are authorized to use any means necessary to apprehend or eliminate him."

"Any idea where to find him?"

"We will forward any relevant files to ambassador Udina." The turian said tiredly.

"This meeting is adjourned." The asari said, nodding to them as she left swiftly, the other two councilors following close behind her. The humans took a great breath and sighed as it all wound down. Crain came forward and smiled broadly.

"Congratulations, Shepard. First human Spectre in the galaxy; how does it feel?"

"Feels like I have a lot of work to do." He laughed slightly. "First things first, though; I have to stop Saren."

"Come to my office as soon as possible. I will have the reports and destination for you when you arrive. You'll need a ship, a crew, supplies, Intel… Anderson! Come with me. I will need your help to set all this up." Udina said sternly, perhaps pondering how he would get it all together. Kaidan and Garrus, the turian, came up to them from below.

"Congratulations, Commander." Alenko said, giving the man a friendly smirk. Shepard clapped him on the back.

"Thanks, Kaidan. We should probably go see what Udina wants before we take it easy. He'll let us rest after he tells us what the council knows. Crain, you coming?" Shepard said, heading down the steps to the transit system, looking behind his shoulder at the crystar.

The blond just smiled slightly and followed.

* * *

~*.*~

Crain was trying to understand why all the humans were upset all of a sudden. Udina didn't count; the blond had placed him in his own grumpy little category. But Anderson was practically seeping his sadness across the entire dock, and Shepard and his team were all a little sad, with the newly named Spectre hinting at guilt.

Was the change of a ship's owner really all that heart breaking?

"You have a mission to complete, Commander; don't let us down!" Anderson saluted the man, who saluted right back with a stony expression.

"Aye Aye, sir. I'll bring Saren down and stop the Reapers." He said shortly, closing off from everyone. Kaidan gave him a curious look, and Ashley just raised her brows. The change in the man was sudden and surprising to the crystar, but Anderson was demanding his attention.

"Crain, you're fathers have given their consent for you to join this mission as an observer for your people. With Saren trying to use prothean technology to bring about his plans, we need experts on their legacy; biotics and mass effect fields being your specialty, correct?" the man asked, pacing back and forth. Crain nodded slightly.

"I did study at the Crystarium University in Mother's City. I have extensive knowledge of biotics and mass effect fields, minor knowledge of prothean workings and their similarities to technologies held by our people." He looked up at Shepard quickly, smirking. "And I'd like to think I'm decent in a fight. What's your take on my skills, Commander?"

"You'll give asari commandos a run for their money." He said lightly, but his face wasn't in it. His eyes were still a mask, and his face barely tipped into a smile of its own. The commander looked up to Anderson before giving him a salute. "Captain."

"Commander."

And with that, everyone went aboard the Normandy. Garrus passed the crystar and nodded, while Wrex grunted past a sullen Ashley. Kaidan was following the commander carefully, observing him as he made his way briskly to the front of the decompression chamber. Crain was suddenly reminded of his first time at the Citadel, feeling nothing but the cold. He had felt alone as he stepped onto the steel of the docks, and now he felt the same stepping into the ship he would call home for who knows how long.

And Shepard's mood worried him.

"Hello. I don't believe we properly met?" a strange, slightly garbled girl's voice said. Crain turned his head to see the quarian they had picked up earlier sidle up next to him. "My name is Tali'Zorah vas Neema nar Rayya. But you can call me Tali."

"Pleasure to meet you, Tali. I am Sala Crain Dunavain. Crain will do." He smiled slightly at her, looking her up and down. Her entire body was covered in a bio-suit, something he learned was a necessary precaution. The quarians had been kicked off their own world by the very synthetics they had created, and living their lives on sterile ships had made them very vulnerable to germs and illness. The crystar had briefly considered trying to balance the quarians immune systems… but then they realized a planet would need to have a base structure for the to work with. The Geth wouldn't likely give up the quarians old home any time soon.

"Crain, then. I must say… I have seen humans before, but I have never seen your people. I know they contacted mine once, to see if they could help. Thanks to the crystar, we have a steadier flow of resources into the flotilla. You've shown us more kindness than most would…." She seemed lost in thought at the gesture, and Crain touched her arm to get her attention.

"We are truly sorry that we could not find a solution. However, I have no doubt we'll find something along the way to help your people. We're on a mission against the geth and Saren; we'll have to uncover something you can bring back to your people for your pilgrimage." He smiled wider, standing still as the chamber cleaned them. "Oh, if you need anything, come find me, kay? I know how strange it can be to leave your home and find yourself in such strange places."

"Thank you, Crain." She said, her strangely filtered voice saturated with cautious optimism. Crain nodded and looked ahead as the doors opened and the ship recorded the commander was on board.

This was going to be quite the adventure. Crain could only hope it would end peacefully for everyone on board. As he walked behind the stony faced commander, and everyone else scattered to their preferred places on the ship, the young crystar idly turned the ring on his finger and closed his eyes. The Normandy would be his portable home for now, and he wouldn't be returning to his world for a long time, most likely.

He prayed to the Mother that he wouldn't be alone.

* * *

Thank you for reading, please review~! Ask any questions, anythign i seemed to leave out or didnt seem thorough enough.

**Heretic**= Those with Red Blood/Crystals. {They consider themselves a different species than the normal crystar}  
**Strain**= The type of strain is classified by color {blue, green, etc.}, Closest relative crystal {Ruby, Celestite, etc.}, with the **occasionally=** added film of nutrients {Calcium undercoat, Other various stone undercoats, etc.}.  
**Mutations**= Like humans have albinism, Crystar have Dual Coloration. Crain should have only purple blood of a general color; however, he has pink as well, because there is a secondary formation of crystals over his heart. This changes his blood color when he uses biotics, and makes him technically more advanced than his parents. There can be all kinds of combinations, but it is a very rare occurence. These individuals tend to live longer than their base coloring.  
**The Different Types of Crystar**= These will be explained in a later Chapter.


	4. Taking a Life

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my silly little thoughts and my silly little hopeless romantics… oh, and the crystar. They're my children.  
Note: I skip over minor missions, and I add a few of my own that involve the crystar when it is acceptable. Also, I have taken liberties with the Normandy's layout. I have added crew quarters in addition to keeping the sleeper pods. The recruits along the way can't possibly just stand all the time, and no one ever really gets into where they go to sleep.

* * *

~*.*~

Crain was numb.

Everything had been going smoothly before. He had taken to hanging out with Tali down in the engine room, and occasionally pestering Joker when he felt bored. Ashley left him alone, Kaidan was overly passive towards everyone, and Wrex treated him indifferently. Lately, Garrus had been taking more notice of the crystar, asking about his people and their culture. They exchanged information and were on very decent terms.

Shepard was an enigma. The man had been so curious about his people, so easy to get along with before he had taken control of the Normandy. Now, about three weeks after becoming a Spectre, he was distant and polite, but basically ignored Crain whenever he was around. He always answered questions and made a little small talk, but the blond could feel the tension that had suddenly appeared between them. It was like the man made it out of his way to avoid the blond.

He didn't understand that, but he focused on the missions to take the sting out of the passive rejection. It also helped that the man had taken that stance with pretty much everyone on the ship.

Udina had given them three locations to cover for their main objectives; Locate Dr. T'soni in the Artemis Tau Cluster, investigate the geth disturbance on Feros, and investigate the strange happenings and rumors of geth on Noveria. Before they could even get to one of those objectives, however, the commander had received several transmissions for help, aid, and other requests. At first, it seemed counterproductive to Crain. They had a major mission, why not leave the smaller ones to others who weren't trying to save the galaxy?

Shepard had explained that they needed the credits they gained from the smaller missions. Apparently, just because he was a Spectre didn't mean that he had truly unlimited resources. They were paid, yes, but not nearly enough to outfit the entire team and gather the intel they needed from… unsavory sources. They needed resources before they could go all out into their search, so they had to do the small stuff first. After this explanation, Crain understood the necessity.

Crain hadn't been asked to come on any of them at first, which he was okay with. When Shepard and whomever he took with him came back covered in blood, he was sure he didn't want to know any details. They received notice as the commander went through system after system, surveying mining sites and planets to gather resources for the ship. He started to receive messages from dignitaries and persons of interest, especially Admiral Hackett. A few missions in, and the crystar noticed new upgrades, better weapons, and even a few small things added to the ship itself.

Crain was getting bored, though. There wasn't much to do on the ship, aside from the occasional engine checks and the rare artifact discoveries. Tali was fun to talk to, but most species had a certain period of time that was acceptable to spend with another. Crain's people loved to have contact with others, generally, but even he was starting to think he was getting clingy. That and annoying Joker was only so funny as long as he wasn't busy. The human seemed to be busy quite a lot.

So when Shepard asked him, briefly, if he wanted to accompany them on a mission, he accepted gladly. They had received a distress signal from the terrestrial planet below, some Alliance men that had run into some trouble. Crain had gone directly down to the garage to put on his gear and make sure everything was in order. Garrus was outfitting himself too, strapping on his rifle and shotgun as the blond came by. Garrus nodded as he approached, finishing up and standing to the side. Shepard came down moments later and walked over to them briskly as Crain put his armor on.

"We've had reports of pirates in the area, so we might encounter them ashore. We head to the distress signal first, see if there are any survivors, and then move on from there. Crain? Will that armor be able to withstand limited atmospheric pressure?" the commander asked, nodding towards the crystars light armor. The blond clicked his helmet into place and nodded.

"It's of crystar make, it'll hold well."

"Alright, let's get ready to go. Joker, stand by." He said, placing his helmet on and securing everything to his armor. They had gotten into the Mako, the vehicle they used on world. When the boy had gone in, he felt somewhat wary of the seemingly infinite amount of harnesses covering the seats. When he asked, Garrus had just laughed. The turian had said they'd need every single buckle, with Shepard driving.

The turian had been right, and after they had exited the vehicle near the beacon, he felt they may have needed at least twenty more.

The Alliance team hadn't survived, that much had been certain. There was a crashed shuttle near a beacon that was still active. There were a few bodies scattered around, scorched and broken, and Crain felt a pang of empathy when they examined the remains. They hadn't just crashed their craft, they had been shot out of the sky and killed. After a few minutes of searching, Joker had come in on the comm and told them he had passed over a building not far from their position. He uploaded the coordinates to the Mako, and they had all buckled up to head over to the building. Shepard was guessing it had to be the pirates' base of operations, and Garrus simply nodded and talked strategy.

What had turned out as what Crain thought might be a rescue mission had turned into a fight for his life.

The pirates had been immediately hostile, snipers shooting at Shepard's feet the moment that he stepped through the door. The commander had kept cool and calm the entire time, taking his shotgun out and flaring up a biotic discharge. Garrus had taken out a rifle of his own and started to pick at the hostiles. Crain froze up before he used his biotics defensively, creating shields around Shepard and Garrus as they moved in. In his haste to defend them, however, he had forgotten to raise his own shields against the enemy. He paid for his mistake as a bullet tore through his left shoulder, ripping through the armor and exploding out the back.

He had never felt pain so intense before in his entire life. It felt like something had sliced through his muscles, only to be followed by molten steel. He fell to the ground as the impact pushed through him, making his concentration falter. The shields he had up disappeared and the other two men rallied back to him, pulling his twitching form back behind some crates. Shepard had looked alarmed at the carnage, tearing a medigel from a compartment in his armor and spreading it quickly over the wound on both sides. Garrus, in the mean time, had been picking off any pirates that had tried to sneak around the crates.

Pain. There had been too much pain, and blood. Lights had started to float in front of the crystars eyes as fluttered, trying to keep consciousness. Shepard's hands were covered in a currant color, equally mixed violet and magenta blood. Horrifying to any crystar, having to see one's own blood.

_So that's what my blood looks like_, Crain had thought as the commander picked his shotgun back up and started to viciously take down the enemy. Garrus had finished his targets off in a matter of minutes, going back to check on the boy. The anesthetic effects of the medigel had kicked in, but his heart had been in distress. He had lost an alarming amount of blood in such a short time, and the scales of his heart had chimed sharply against his ribs and lungs. It was hard to focus on anything for what seemed like hours, though Shepard had returned a few minutes later, covered in darker shades of red and blue. Crain had managed to lean back weakly against the crates behind him, staring up at the man with a feverish face.

The commander's eyes had jumped up and widened in shock. "Your eyes!" he exclaimed, leaning down and taking the boys clammy face in his hands. The gloves had felt cold, the worried blue eyes unusually welcome in that unfamiliar place. Garrus had been paying attention to him too, confused by the statement.

"His eyes?"

"They're bright pink. They're not supposed to be that color." Shepard had said, examining his eyes closely. Crain had felt something warm in his unusually cold body when Shepard had remembered their discussion in his embassy. Something in the corner of his eye, however, had caught his attention.

A man appearing from behind some crates, with a gun pointed at them. At Shepard.

Crain didn't even have time to think. His blood had spiked, his biotics acting almost of their own will. Garrus wouldn't have noticed, and the commander was too preoccupied with him. His hand flew out, sending tendrils of dark energy towards the unknown man. Instinct took over, an instinct the boy didn't even know he had. He grabbed the man with the tendrils, ripping them into the armor and flesh before ripping apart. Blood splattered the ground and the crates around him, gashes and jagged cuts appearing all over the pirate's skin.

The man's heart had fluttered briefly against the current of energy before it stopped moving, permanently. Crain had killed him.

The rest had been a blur, with Shepard carrying the crystar out swiftly, firm yet gentle hands and sturdy claws strapping him into the Mako. This time he didn't get to go to the Mother's meadow while he passed out and healed. He was awake for every mind numbing and stinging second. He remembered being brought into the med bay, voices swirling around him, his heart tinkling like broken glass off the edge of a cliff.

His armor was removed quickly and efficiently, and he had several hands on his shoulder and holding down his arms. He had screamed a couple of times when the needles had gone in and injected some anesthetic, trying to get him still for treatment. Whatever they injected worked briefly before his body burned it off in a matter of minutes, causing him to thrash under the doctor and assistants. He had trouble keeping his eyes open, and he felt himself slipping into a stressed sleep as the doctor finally injected him with something that would work.

That led him to waking up in his quarters, bandaged and lying on fresh sheets. He looked around slowly, his heart making soft chiming noises in the silence, but he found no one. He was alone.

He tried to reconnect the moments that led up to him in his current position, and when he did his heart chimed violently against his chest once more. He glanced down at his shoulder, staring at the tiny little violet crystals forming over the bandages where blood had once been. His skin was pale, still recovering from the loss of blood in his system. He felt tired, sore, and felt tears running down his cheeks as the single thought tore through his mind.

_I killed a man today_.

He curled into a ball, ignoring the sharp protests his body made as he drew in on himself. He couldn't control the sobs wracking their way through his body, his heart creating a discordant tune as he relived the entire moment. The concerned blue eyes, the movement in the corner of his own, and then the feeling of life leaving its host and escaping in a matter of seconds. He, Sala Crain Dunavain, had taken a life. He had known it was necessary, had known that the man would have most likely killed Shepard….

But still, he had taken a life, and he couldn't fathom how he had known to do it.

Roughly an hour passed before someone came to check on him. Dr. Chakwas walked in, carrying a small kit with her as she turned on the lights. She made a startled sound as she found the crystar curled up in a ball on the bed, his bandages straining against the position and causing minor bleeding. She hurried over and gently pulled him back to a proper position, but the crystals presented a problem. In the hours he had been resting, the crystals still grew where they had been exposed to a little air.

"Dear heavens." She murmured under her breath as she picked at the crystals, extracting them from the wound and setting them aside. It stung, but Crain was too far gone in his misery to pay much attention to it. She looked back up at him, noticing the dark tracks down his cheeks from hours of crying, the deep stains of violet on the bed sheets. "Crain? Crain, can you understand me?"

It took the boy a moment, but he managed to nod dully. She sighed and went back to the wound, unwinding the bandages and cleaning it again. After all the crystals were in a small neat pile, and the wound was bandaged again, she took out a cloth and dabbed a little water on it.

"You were lucky Shepard acted so quickly. Taking a round from a sniper rifle and living isn't easy. I heard he had managed to give you the medigel just in time, too." She paused as she carefully wiped around his eyes, a grim smile on her face. "At least you made it back here safely."

He didn't speak. He just felt the occasional tear slip back over his eyes and streak down his cheek. Dr. Chakwas was patient, though, and she wiped them away and held one of his hands in hers while she took care of him. She had a motherly instinct, it seemed, and Crain had awakened it. After another few minutes or so, she looked back at the clock.

"Crain, you need to eat something. Your body needs to refuel itself." She said clearly and gently. He looked up and shook his head slightly. She sighed and cleaned up the little mess that she made. "You will need to eat in an hour. I'll send someone to take you to the mess hall then, but there will be no arguing. Your body needs more than the shot I gave you after we stabilized you. If you still feel you cannot move, I will bring you a tray."

She got up and turned off the lights, shaking her head as she exited the room.

Crain felt another tear slide down his cheek, and he could do nothing but think of a cold, gloved hand embracing it gently.

* * *

~*.*~

Shepard was stressed.

The entire mission was supposed to be a quick go in, look into the fates of the team, then leave. He had forgotten that he brought along the crystar up until the first shot landed between his feet and he ducked behind some crates for cover. He saw a biotic shield appear around him, one he hadn't made himself. A few more shots were fired, he took out two pirates on the balcony above them and one on the ground, and then a louder shot was heard with a piercing gasp. Everything seemed to come to a halt when he heard a thump against the floor behind him.

Crain had been shot.

Nothing slowed down, really, he just had to act faster. He threw a biotic discharge over toward a group of oncoming hostiles before he allowed Garrus to take over. He quickly tore a medigel out of his suit and crouched down to a bleeding Crain, applying it as best and as fast as he could. When he saw the growing puddle on the floor, he turned him slightly. _Shit_, he had thought. The bullet had gone right through. He applied the rest of the medigel to the back, hoping it would keep the boy stable enough for him and Garrus to finish the fight. He tore his eyes from the haunting image, the youthful crystar pale and covered in his own beautiful blood, and grabbed his shotgun. He sprinted into the fray, taking out pirate after pirate, seeing red and feeling the adrenaline give his anger purpose. After what seemed like an eternity, he had deemed the enemy taken care of and dashed back to the boy.

He had somehow managed to lean back against a crate and sat there, breathing shallowly and looking up at the man slowly. Shepard's heart skipped a beat when he saw that the crystar's eyes had turned a bright, violent pink. There was no purple to be seen. He said as much, getting down and examining his eyes carefully. Crain seemed to smile for a second, for some reason he didn't know, but then his changed eyes grew wider as he looked over Shepard's shoulder.

He looked back just in time to see a mass of biotic tendrils ripping through a pirate with an assault rifle, completely bypassing his shields and ripping into his skin. His blood splattered the walls, and Shepard looked back down at the crystar. His hand was outstretched, formed like it was clutching desperately at something dear. Shepard picked the blond up carefully, ensuring his helmet was on and his suit was functioning before putting his own helmet back on and running him to the Mako.

Everything past that _was_ a blur, because Shepard found himself staring at the crystar as he was brought onboard, into the med bay, and as he was treated. It wasn't pretty; the rifle round had gone straight through his bone, leaving a mess of tissues and pieces everywhere. Dr. Chakwas set up a call with Crain's friend, Vyne, the moment she heard the boy was injured. With Vyne's help, they had been able to do what they could so the body could treat the rest. Crystar had incredible regenerative abilities, at least compared to humans.

After about an hour, he was fully stable and sleeping steadily, laying there on the medical bed. Dr. Chakwas had cleaned up everything by then and was studying the crystal and blood samples she had taken from the boy. Garrus had gone back down to the garage, Tali had come up to see if the boy was alright. Shepard sat there dully, finally able to think on everything that had happened. He had taken to staring at his gloves, covered in a sheen of tiny little magenta crystals. Apparently, that's how crystar blood coagulated.

It was entirely his fault. He had been stupid enough to risk Crain when he knew that the crystar wouldn't fight to kill. He couldn't even imagine the pain the boy would feel when he woke up, both physically and emotionally. He knew Crain's kind didn't believe in violence, and most of them could never take a life. It went so far against their beliefs….

The guilt piled on as the minutes ticked by, until he couldn't stand it. He was about to get up and leave when Dr. Chakwas interrupted him.

"Commander? I believe that Crain is stable enough to rest within his own quarters in privacy. Would you be so kind as to take him there? Gently now, we wouldn't want those wounds opening up again." She asked, and he scooped the crystar into his arms gently, holding him to his chest. "Thank you."

"No problem." He said as he walked through the door, heading directly to crew quarters. When he entered Crain's room, he shifted the boy into one of his arms carefully while he pulled back the sheet and then laid him down under it. He tucked the boy in, gazing down with a troubled face, and then looked around the room.

Crain's room was standard issue, but there were subtle differences and changes made. A picture of his family was set on the desk, framed in a beautiful white crystal. Large pieces of amethyst and a light pink colored stone sat on the corner, right underneath the glowing extranet terminal. The small bedside table on the left side of the bed had a clock and a data pad, still glowing from whatever its last use had been. The room smelled like some type of wild flower, but Shepard couldn't identify it.

It reminded him of Crain, though.

He sat down next to the blond and put his hand on the crystar's shoulder, watching him breathe and sleep. He heard and felt Crain's heart, chiming softly in his chest and creating a soothing sound. The entire time he sat there, gazing down at the boy, he felt at peace. He was safe, he couldn't be hurt anymore, and he would recover. That's all that mattered now.

"Sleep well, little guy." He whispered, stroking his cheek once before getting up and leaving. As he exited, he found that he had been there too long A good three hours had passed while he kept the crystar company. Kaidan looked over and waved, calling for him.

"Commander." He saluted, but Shepard just waved his hand off.

"No need, Kaidan. I know it might seem odd, but I'm not that strict on regs. I've never been one for attention, and I don't need my crew to salute me at every turn to feel better." He gave a small smile, looking up at Alenko. "So, what did you need?"

"Oh, just wondering how the kid was doing. When you brought him in, he scared the daylight out of us." Kaidan said, shaking his head. "I've never seen a crystar bleed before. It was… strange."

"How so?" Shepard asked. He had to admit, the color of the blood felt wrong, but blood was blood to him. Alenko just shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck.

"He looks so human, but when he bleeds I can feel the eezo pouring out of him. It sent shivers down most of the crew's spine just to be around it. We're used to blood, but that was something else." He paused, looking back at the crystar's quarters. "If I can speak freely, commander?"

"Go ahead and speak your mind. I like to know where my crew's mind is at." Shepard assured him. Alenko stepped back and leaned against the wall, staring at Crain's door before looking back up at Shepard.

"You've seemed distant and, if I'm not overstepping, a little unapproachable since you took over for Captain Anderson, commander." He stated slowly, carefully. Shepard winced and tried to explain himself.

"It feels like I took his chance at being a Spectre, and then I took his ship from him. I don't like it." He frowned. Kaidan nodded thoughtfully.

"I understand that. Most of the crew does too, though they see you just as worthy of command as the captain was. But Crain isn't human. He doesn't understand withdrawal like we do. He probably thinks he did something wrong since you've spent as little time with him as possible. I see him talking to the quarian, Tali, all the time, and Garrus has been friendly lately, but he seemed to have taken a shine to you. Just making an observation, sir." He said, scratching his nose and going back to work. "Might want to make sure he knows what really went on when he wakes up."

"Thank you. I… I hadn't noticed." Shepard said, nodding his head to Kaidan as he turned to leave for the mess hall. He felt like an idiot at first for not noticing how uncomfortable he had to have made Crain in the past few weeks. He had been so self absorbed in taking on his minor assignments that he hadn't noticed how he acted in front of everyone. He knew someone in his position was supposed to keep a cool head, and he wouldn't forget that again.

He went to the mess with the intention of getting food, but the tables were crowded with people he just _knew_ would try to talk to him, pester him with questions and concerns about Crain. He made a sharp turn out of the hall and headed back to his quarters on the navigation level. When he finally got there, he stopped and let out a breath.

He wasn't particularly tired, but he knew he could do with a nap before he went blundering through another shift. It had already been about twelve hours since they had brought Crain back up. Shepard planned to visit him after he had taken a little rest. Food could wait.

As he hit the bed, he looked up and thought about how nice it would be to have something go right, for a change. Routine was never as routine as it should be.

~*.*~

Shepard awoke a few hours later, his omnitool beeping to life on his arm. He blinked a few times, giving a grunt as he moved to sit on the edge of the bed. His alarm had gone off for the next cycle, and he rubbed a hand over his weary face. He needed to check on Crain.

He got up and made sure he was presentable, holstering his pistol and leaving the room. When he did, however, Dr. Chakwas was already in the hall, waiting for him. As he approached, she glanced sadly over to Crain's door and gestured for him to come closer.

"What's wrong, doc?" Shepard asked. The elder woman just sighed and looked back at the commander.

"Crain woke up about an hour ago, and I changed his bandages and cleaned him up again. I tried to get him to eat, but he simply refuses to. I brought him a tray of food, but I doubt he'll eat any of it. I have no idea what's wrong. At first I thought it might have been the shock of getting shot, but now I'm not so sure. I haven't read the mission report, though, so maybe I'm missing something?" She finished. Shepard winced and looked down.

"We had our backs turned after we thought everything was clear. I was seeing to him, Garrus had turned his back for a moment to see the damage… and a pirate snuck up behind us. Crain was the only one who noticed, and he did what he had to." He paused and shook his head. "He killed the man."

"And? He's surely killed men before." Dr. Chakwas said, her voice curious. "He's been on missions before, even for his people. I had assumed he's already seen death."

"He's alright with destroying geth; but no, he's never killed before." Dr. Chakwas gave a little hitch in breath before shaking her head and heading back to the room.

"If I had known that, I would have kept him on board! Shepard, his people don't react well to such dramatic changes in their lifestyles. If he caused it himself… he needs counseling, therapy-," she stopped and looked up at him. "You had to have known the implications of taking him on a mission with you."

"It wasn't exactly planned, doc." He said defensively, crossing his arms. "It's not like I try to get my people shot. You know me better than that."

"Yes. But other soldiers, combat trained men… they know the price. Are you so sure Crain does? And if he does now, did he before you took him down there?" Dr. Chakwas shook her head and sighed. "Go on, see to him. I doubt I'll be any help. He might actually listen to you."

And with that, she left Shepard standing there, feeling worse than he did earlier.

He sighed and went to the door, hesitating before he opened it. The lights were dimmer than when he had been in there earlier, but the console still illuminated the room enough to see. He looked over to Crain, lying under the covers with a fresh bandage. As Shepard made his way across the little room, the crystar opened his eyes. He started to get up, but Shepard stopped him quickly.

"Hey, take it easy." he said quietly, easing the blond back down to the bed. On closer inspection, Shepard could see dark violet tracks running from Crain's eyes, staining the sheets and pillows in several spots. His shoulder wasn't bleeding anymore, but Shepard worried that the cause might be a lack of blood to bleed. A still very full tray of food was resting uneaten on the bedside table.

"…." Crain mumbled something unintelligible as he settled back against the covers, looking away from Shepard. The commander raised a brow but simply decided to take a seat next to him on the bed. He took the tray and looked down at it.

"I know it might not be the best grub, but hey, its food. You need energy, Dunavain." He said a little sternly. Crain just looked in the other direction. Shepard's chest got tight when he saw more violet tears fall from the crystar's cheeks. "Crain, please look at me."

The young crystar seemed to hesitate for a moment, unsure whether he should or not. Finally, after a few minutes, he looked up with red and violet rimmed eyes. Shepard set the tray down and shifted to face him more fully.

"Talk to me." He said softly, and Crain seemed to shiver slightly, closing his eyes and shaking his head.

"I…" he drew in shaky breath after shaky breath, trying to find the words to speak. Shepard reached out and took the blonde's shoulder in his hand, squeezing gently and rubbing it soothingly. Crain looked up at Shepard with tortured eyes, grimacing in pain and sorrow. Shepard was almost taken aback by the sudden display, but held his face in check. Crain looked back down, whispering in a quiet, childlike voice. "I killed a man."

Shepard looked on as Crain just about broke apart, the guilt in his chest rising and urging him to soothe the young man. His sobs were accompanied by the tinkling of his heart. Shepard scooted over closer to the blond, putting arm around carefully around him, and the crystar practically fell against him and buried his face against the commander.

"I know… I know it's hard." He said softly, reaching up and stroking the blonde's hair. It was unusually soft in his hand, a texture that almost felt like fine ashes, but firm and solid. Crain cried for awhile, the time slipping away from them both as the crystar let it all out. Shepard just kept on holding on.

* * *

~*.*~

Crain sobbed and sobbed, burying himself in Shepard's shirt. It felt like the only possible thing left to do. Images had been popping through his mind of the blood, the feel of the man's own electric fields being demolished under his biotic grasp. It had been easy, really, to tear through his shields and manipulate those currents. Out of all the things he could have done, all the ways to kill the man, the most obvious had been to rip him apart like a savage. Looking back, most of his horror came from a very simple fact, one he couldn't justify or describe without wanting to vomit.

He _liked_ wielding that much power. He had _enjoyed_ killing the man.

Shepard had come in, though, and became a little safe harbor for him to cling to. Lying there, holding onto the man… it felt nice. Shepard hadn't taken a shower recently, which Crain could tell, but his scent was a comfort. It helped to calm him after awhile, letting him think clearly again. The man was even stroking his hair and humming under his breath.

_Guata does this for sala when sala is sad._ Crain thought absently as he sniffed and opened his eyes a little. The thought surprised him out of his misery, shocking him with how guilty he suddenly felt. He shook himself a little and wiped at his eyes, sitting up properly. He felt warm hands help him up and support him as he got his bearings.

"Are you okay?" Shepard's warm, deep voice asked. Crain looked up at him and took a deep breath.

"I killed someone… but it was necessary. They would have killed you if I hadn't acted." He said in a small voice, and he shook his head more severely. "I shouldn't feel guilty, but I do. I know he was a bad man, but he was still a life…."

"Don't think of it like that." Shepard said warned, his voice quiet and warm. "You did what you had to in order to _save_ a life. When he chose to try to take our lives, we had every right to defend ourselves and take him out."

Crain shivered as he heard the words, sounding strikingly similar to what the Mother had told him earlier. He blinked away the last remnants of tears. "I can deal with that. Your life is more important to me than some pirate's. And if people want to hurt you, or Tali, or the team… I have every right to defend what I care about. It's not precisely right or good… but it is necessary."

"Exactly. I don't like killing, contrary to popular belief." Shepard said dryly. "A lot of civilians think soldiers enjoy taking life and being in battle. For a handful, yeah, it is, but most of us only take up arms to protect what we care about, uphold ideals, and serve our people. Killing isn't easy, but we have to bear the burden."

"I… I understand. Our people haven't had much need before to even think about it…. But the Heretics, they do it willingly for us." He frowned. "We're far too innocent to survive; we'd have been killed if we didn't have the Heretics."

"Eh, I think you would have figured something out eventually. Just remember that you're not as helpless as you might think, and you have every right to ensure your survival." Shepard smiled sadly. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I… I need time to deal with it. But yes, I'll be fine eventually." He smiled wistfully, rubbing at his forehead. He was starting to get a headache.

"Good. Now, I hate to shove it down your throat, but you really need to eat." Shepard picked up the tray and looked down at it. "Most of it should still be somewhat edible.""

Crain frowned down at it, glancing at the fake eggs and various other sides. All human food. "I'd have to eat a lot of it to really have an effect, and I don't think I can stomach that much."

"Well, eat what you can. After, I'll go see what the doc recommends." Shepard rubbed his hair gently, then got up to leave. Crain grabbed at his arm before he could go, and Shepard looked down at him. "Hm?"

"Thank you, Shepard. You have no idea how much it means to me… you know." He looked down and let go of the man, staring down at the sheets nervously. "It's… I'm glad you're the Commander."

Shepard shot him a smile and squeezed the crystar's hand gently before letting go. "And I'm glad you're a part of my crew, Dunavain."

* * *

~*.*~

It was two days later that Crain was finally able to leave his room on a permanent basis and wander the ship. His X-rays showed normal crystal growth back into his bones, making the damaged area sturdier than before. Vyne had worried that Crain would have a crystal protrusion out of the wound, which had been known to happen, but his fears were unfounded; Crain healed perfectly. Vyne had, however, still been unconvinced that his dear friend should stay on the ship.

"Vyne, my jade, my beautiful friend… I'm fine. Honestly, I won't have this problem again. Don't worry, and please do not tell my sala. He has enough on his mind. Shepard is looking out for me, and I have learned valuable lessons." He said, shaking his head. "And no, you don't need to come aboard either. I'm perfectly fine with Dr. Chakwas' methods. She catches on quickly, and she's been a wonderful healer."

"But… Crain, you need more than a healer." Vyne said pointedly, giving the blond a slight glare. Crain winced.

"I've made peace with what I did. It was for the right reasons, and the Mother wouldn't hold it against me for protecting me and my own. They're my friends, and they were threatened."

"But… Crain, we don't take life. That's a _Heretic_ practice." He winced, his delicate voice catching on the word. "You need to talk to someone."

"I already have." Crain defended, crossing his arms and frowning slightly. Vyne gave him a _look_.

"Oh? And who has given you counseling? Is this Dr. Chakwas a certified psychiatrist as well? Psychologist? Therapist? Hypnotist? Does she pick things up so well that she doesn't need a license, a degree?" Vyne asked coldly, his irritation forming by the passing seconds. "I'm sorry, but I don't trust it. You were hurt by humans, amongst humans. Why should humans be any better an option to help you than us?"

"Vyne… Honestly, if it hadn't been for Shepard, I would have come crawling back eventually. He helped, and that's the end of it. I do not like this topic, and I wish it be left alone. It agitates you, and makes me uncomfortable." He sighed. "Please, my jade, leave it be. I have made my peace on it, and being here with them will help."

Vyne made a disgruntled sound, running a hand gracefully over his face. "I'm just worried about what all this death will do to you."

"I'll be fine. As long as I have wonderful people like you in my life, I can make it through and evolve." That made the pale crystar smile, shaking his head.

"Some friend I am. I had to stay here while you were recovering."

"I'd much rather you be there and helping my sala than attending my brief injury. He has taken to treatment, hasn't he? You found what was wrong?" Vyne's expression soured slightly, his soft features turned down at a new irritation.

"That's one of the problems with this. Whatever it is, it evades treatment. I thought at first that maybe it was viral, but there is no pathogen, infection, or direct cause that I can find. The bloodstream is only slightly elevated with-," he paused, looking up at Crain. "I apologize, you wouldn't understand. Basically, the hormones causing stress have elevated in his bloodstream, as have the trace amounts of calcium and his eezo levels have increased. His spikes of anger have been random and without any true stressor, but when a stressor is introduced, it yields an even larger reaction. We believe that we may need to add on a neurologist to find out what is wrong. Unfortunately, I haven't obtained a degree for that yet."

Crain would have laughed at the little sigh Vyne gave at that, but his worry overcame that. "So there's no way to tell what this is?"

"I know it has something to do with his heart, and his brain. My biotic feelers have determined _something_ is wrong, but they can't pinpoint what it is exactly. It rests on the outer walls of his pericardial sac, just below the scales, and directly underneath his occipital bones. Basically? I think he has a parasite of some sort, or… or a tumor. Parasites are tricky, but we can dislodge them, kill them, and then perform surgery to remove them. Tumors may take a little more, depending on the type." He said carefully, looking down at his data pad. "The other patients have smaller versions of the same symptoms, less rage, smaller interference in there scales. So, as of now, I have nothing else to report to you that would leave some significance. Everything else is theory or minor."

"Thanks, Vyne." Crain said shakily, blinking rapidly. "I… just keep me posted, okay? I may not be able to take a call, but I _will_ get back to you on it."

"No problem, my amethyst." He looked behind him as someone called. "That would be for me. I apologize, but I must cut this short, friend. Call me later, yes? I wish to know the extent of your scarring."

"Pfft, scarring? There's barely a mark." Crain scoffed. Vyne smiled tightly.

"But you admit there is scarring? Oh, never mind. I shall speak with you later, dear one." He waved a goodbye and the screen blanked out. Crain smirked and shook his head as he got up and left his room. He was hungry, and Dr. Chakwas needed to check his shoulder again, just to make sure they had everything covered.

He made his way up to the med bay, nodding to the greetings he was given along the way. The humans had warmed up to him considerably since he had been injured, though he couldn't truly understand why. He knew that humans in general reacted to unfortunate events with pity and empathy, but he didn't know why. It was a quirk they all seemed to have. His people always felt they needed to be kind towards others, but humans would react that way only if they deemed they had to.

Either that, or it might have been because Shepard was definitely talking to him again.

Ever since that night, if it could be considered night in space, Shepard had been more active with the crew. He and Tali were seen talking down by the core, and he and Garrus had chatted for a little while earlier that day cycle. The commander had taken a more vested interest in his team, and had checked in on the crystar numerous times while he recovered. Shepard even noticed that he hadn't been eating as much as he used to. He was really tired of human food, with its low energy input and its high density, it just didn't sit well with him after a couple of weeks.

So the commander graciously offered to take them around his home world to pick up rations for him specifically.

At first, Crain objected. He couldn't possibly expect them to reverse their course and waste resources. Shepard, however, had been insistent. His argument had been that he needed his crew up to full health if he was going to take them around the galaxy. When Crain pointed out that they were close to their main objective in the Artemis Tau cluster, Shepard relented; they would swing by his home world after they picked up Dr. T'soni. Crain had smiled as the man smirked and made his way back to the bridge.

Crain smiled as he entered the med bay, seeing Dr. Chakwas at her desk. She was reviewing some files on crystar, he could see, and she had a blown up image of a crystars skeletal structure. She looked up and noticed him, waving him in.

"Crain! Thank you for coming in. How does the shoulder feel?" she asked, getting up and gesturing him to take a seat. She felt around his shoulder with practiced hands as she spoke. "Have the crystals formed completely yet?"

"I believe so. There is no more pain, just some stiffness and soreness in the region. My eyes have balanced out to their natural color, and my heart rate is normal lately." Crain relayed, lifting his arm for her as she moved it around.

"Good. I have been trying to understand your structure, but I will simply have to follow what Dr. Drajin sent me. Your entire skeleton is composed of bone and crystal webbing, yes?" she asked, her voice slightly uneasy. She kept up her examination, and Crain nodded along.

"Yes. When our bones receive injury, the crystal takes the place of the osteocytes."

"Hm… I noticed that your blood takes on a strange transformation while the tissue it supplements heals." More stretching, flexing, and movement of his arms was completed, and the elder woman marked down a few things on her omnitool.

"The best comparison I can make to a human is that that process is our way of 'scabbing over' our flesh. Our blood does not take place of the skin or muscle cells, it encourages them to grow back and form over the wound. Generally, our scars reflect our core coloration." Crain scratched the back of his neck. "Vyne, er, Dr. Drajin, might be able to answer more of your questions than I can. I know only what I was taught in Introduction to Crystarium Biology and Anatomy. I can give you basic body functions and similarities to yours, but I can't give medical degree information."

"That's quite alright. Your friend did send me as many notes on your people's health as he could, I just have to become more acquainted with the idea. What humans, particularly us women, prefer are gemstones and crystals as gifts. They're a great display of affection to our people, generally speaking." She said, examining his shoulder and marking down the scarring she noticed. "It's odd to think of another species simply growing it on the outside and inside of their bodies."

Crain smiled at that. "We've heard about your love for most things shiny. We have a similar love, but gemstones mean much more to our people in practicality as well. They're gifts from the Mother herself, and it was said that her first people were spread across the galaxy in the form of gemstones. They planted themselves in the ground, waiting several decades before popping up from the ground as fully grown crystar ancestors. It's silly, but every child is told the old stories. Giving a rival the stone of your color is seen as a challenge of intellect and ability. Giving one of your color to a friend is seen as entrusting them with your affection, allowing them to get closer to you. Parents always give their children stones the color of their child's eyes."

Dr Chakwas smiled, waiting for a moment before speaking herself. "And what about partners? What stone do you give them, or to someone you wish to court?"

"Well, if you wish to court someone, you will generally ask their sala's or guata's permission first, unless they have a crystal mate. Crystal mates were born with the intended, so they're closer than the parents in that case. Of course, it's a somewhat old tradition, so no one really does it anymore. If you want to date someone, get used to each other in a romantic sense, you give them a simple stone that matches to them. This normally takes careful precision, and you need to know the person well enough to find the stone they match. If you give them the wrong stone, it is seen as a disappointment. For a partner, however…." Crain faltered for a moment. "In your practice, it is common to propose marriage with a ring, yes?" the doctor nodded and stood aside casually. Crain smiled sadly. "In ours, you give them a pendant with your colors and theirs. Since no one ever partners with someone of the same color, it's always noticeable and easily recognizable for what it is. The design, the quality of the stone… it is very much like your human engagement rings. Giving a pendant like that is a proposal to mate for life."

"Who knows when to give the pendant, though?" she asked. "I understand your partner system is a little different from ours."

"The guata is the one who pursues. The sala simply waits for one who wishes to mate with them." He sighed. "It's a daunting prospect."

"Have you had no offers?" She asked carefully. "I would assume someone with your position and blood would be seen as a fine candidate."

Crain winced. "I have received many, many offers. None of them caught my interest. The thing about us is, once we interact with one who could be our mate, we can attach ourselves to them emotionally. Once we've made our decision, we don't change our minds. We _know_ who we want the moment we hold eye contact. At least, that's how it works for sala. Guata tend to be less, um, picky?"

"If only our people had such a romantic way of doing things." She sighed. "You may wish to be careful who you tell that to, Crain. It could give many authors the perfect, realistic love story they want. What every human girl wants, to look into the eyes of a strong man and know your love isn't unrequited."

"Don't worry, I'll keep it secret." He winked, getting up off the table and stretching out a bit. "Well, I think I'm fully functioning. Your thoughts?"

"I believe we'll need to check just a few more times to be sure, but you appear to have healed quite well. Don't strain yourself, and please, for heaven's sake, eat. The Commander has noticed your lack of appetite, and it's worrying us both. Your body needs nourishment."

"Understood."

"Good. Now go on, you probably have other places to be." She waved him off with a slight quirk in her lips, before she went to the back room and took stock. Crain simply took a breath and left, twisting the ring on his finger.

He didn't enjoy talking about finding a mate.

With nothing else to do, he went down to the engine room to see if Tali was busy. She seemed very friendly and shy, so Crain gravitated towards her naturally. He wasn't sure if he should talk to Garrus just yet, though; the turian made him just a little edgy.

When he got to the garage, however, he saw her suiting up over by the lockers with Garrus. As he walked over, she waved absently.

"Hello, Crain. Did you need something?" she asked pleasantly, placing an armor pad over her suit and clicking it into place. Garrus nodded his greetings as Crain flashed him a smile.

"Oh, no. I was just bored and decided to wander around. Where are you guys headed?" he asked, eyeing the newer sniper rifle Garrus pinned to his back. Tali made a sound of distaste.

"We're in the Knossos system of the Artemis Tau cluster. We believe that Dr. T'soni is on Therum, and we're approaching soon. Hopefully, we will find out what she knows of her mother." She said, checking to make sure everything was in order. "You might want to clear out soon. We're almost ready for departure."

"How is your shoulder doing?" Garrus asked casually. Tali nodded her head, looking at the crystar eagerly.

"Has it healed?"

"It's in its final stages. Don't worry, I won't lose my arm. It'll be good as new in a few more days." He waved his arm about and smiled a little. Tali nodded in relief and wrung at her hands.

"You had us worried. As long as you're okay, that's what matters." She paused as the elevator descended again. Crain looked over his shoulder to see Shepard make his way to them. Tali waved over to him before standing over by Garrus. Shepard smiled as he came up to the group, helmet tucked under his arm.

"Everybody ready to find Miss T'soni?" he asked, shifting his helmet to his hands. After a couple of nods and agreements, Shepard looked down sternly at Crain. "You still need rest, Dunavain."

"Don't need to tell me twice. Have fun hunting down that asari." He waved, heading to the elevator so they could depart. As he pushed the button to close the door, he saw Shepard turn back and give him a small smirk, waving his hand as he disappeared from view.

Crain didn't even know he was blushing.

~*.*~

Dr. T'soni reminded Crain of a young crystar sala.

She was innocent in a way, her outlook on life somewhat positive. She had limited knowledge on society amongst other races, so she didn't know exactly how to act around the humans on board. She was quiet, knowledgeable, and easy to fluster. However, she had no problem killing to defend herself, and she used her biotics and guns efficiently in combat. She was a mix of a human woman and a female sala. Her skin was paler than Crain was accustomed to, but he was somewhat glad he could tell such a small difference. Asari generally looked alike to him.

They had a meeting in the comm room the moment they had put their gear back, ready to discuss what they all knew. Apparently, Dr. T'soni had not spoken to her mother in over a century, and she didn't even know why Matriarch Beneziah would side herself with Saren. Ashley had been particularly rude throughout the entire meeting, glaring at the asari like she was a diseased animal. The doctor didn't even notice, but Crain was agitated after the meeting because of it. They had decided Feros would be their next objective, after Shepard reported to the council.

"I have to contact the council, let them know what we found. Crain? Can you take Ms. T'soni to the Med bay? She got a little roughed up down in the ruins." The man asked, shooting the asari a quick glance. She started to protest, but he just put a hand up and shook his head. "I saw you get thrown by that krogan. You need to be checked out for a concussion, at least."

"Ok. Come on, Ms. T'soni, let's get you checked out." Crain said politely, leading her out of the room.

"You can call me Liara." She said calmly, though she was setting off nervous vibes to the crystar. He looked at her and smiled.

"My name is Sala Crain Dunavain, but you can call me Crain. I hear you had a little tumble with a krogan?" he asked innocently, and she winced.

"It was not my proudest moment. He caught me off guard; I was too focused on the geth to notice him. However, I am fine. I don't require medical attention. I hit the wall with my shoulder, not my head." She replied, staying close behind him as they entered the med bay. Dr. Chakwas stood from her desk and sighed.

"You didn't somehow sneak off ship during the mission, did you young man?" she scolded, looking him up and down. He just laughed and waved her off.

"No, I was a good boy and stayed on ship. Dr. Chakwas, this is Liara T'soni. Liara, this is our wonderful Dr. Chakwas." He paused and looked her up and down. "She may not need extensive treatment, but the Commander might demand a check for concussions. He's convinced she hit her head during a fight."

"I'm fine, really." The asari protested, shaking her head slowly. "I am merely sore from the exertions of today's activities."

"Well, just let me give you a brief exam to say we did one, hm?" the elder woman said warmly as she clicked around on her omnitool and ran it over Liara. After a few more seconds, there were a few beeps and she stepped away. "All clear. You have slight bruising on your left shoulder, but it should heal quickly. If you want to supplement the healing process, we have plenty of medigel and ointments for it."

"I… thank you, Dr. Chakwas. That is very kind of you. Is there a terminal I may have access to in order to record and extend my research? I was told there would be one on ship."

"There is an available terminal in the back room. It has been prepared for your use." Dr. Chakwas confirmed before turning back to her desk. "If you need anything, I will be right out here. Simply ask. And Crain? How is the shoulder?"

"Doing fine. There's barely a scar." He assured her, and she nodded as she returned to her work. The blond looked over to the asari as she made her was across the room. "Oh, and Liara? If you ever need anything, you don't have to worry about asking us. Go to Shepard or come to me, mkay?"

"Thank you, Crain." She smiled slightly. Crain just hummed and left the room. Again, he was stuck with nothing to do. He could go and talk to Tali about the mission, or Garrus, but he had already sort of heard their versions anyways. He didn't know how long Shepard's report would take, and nothing else really held interest… so he decided to go spend some quality time with their most favorite pilot in the galaxy.

"What do you want?" Joker greeted him gruffly as he took over the navigations seat. Crain just smiled and shrugged.

"I'm bored, and you're funny."

"I'm not getting paid to be you're entertainment, you know. Besides, I have enough to do right now, thank you very much." He huffed, messing with things on his pilot console. Crain snorted.

"You always look so busy when everyone else comes around, but we all wonder whether you're actually doing anything while we're here."

"I do legitimate work! I press buttons, slide a couple of things around. Hey, sometimes stuff even happens!" he said defensively. Crain just gave him a serene smile.

"Is that why you have so many extranet bookmarks?" at that, Joker's eyebrows disappeared underneath his hat, and he eyed the crystar warily.

"Not something I'd expect to hear from one of you guys. I didn't even know you _knew_ that stuff existed."

Crain shrugged again and gave him a frown. "I was actually hoping you'd tell me what that meant. I just hear that joke about you every time someone brings up what you do up here."

"I'll tell you when you're older." The man dismissed it, waving his hand at the blond and looking down at his console. Crain snorted and stared out the hull. The stars were rushing by so fast they were a stream of colors.

"I'm twenty four, you know."

"Really? Damn, you look like you just graduated high school." Joker said with surprise. Crain shot him a quizzical look.

"What's high school?"

"That awkward time in your life when you're growing up, hittin' on guys and chicks, failing your classes, and hoping you'll make it through without extreme emotional trauma. For me, it was basically only physical trauma, but you know…" he dwindled off, shaking his head. Crain still didn't understand, but he nodded silently. After a few minutes of him not talking, Joker looked up. "Nothing else to say?"

"As fun as this is, I can only really pester you for about fifteen minutes before I'm bored again. Have any suggestions?"

"Extranet?" Crain shook his head. "Well, if you don't have access to that, and you've got nothing else to do… get some books? Or download some vids to a pad next time we hit shore? Don't know what to tell ya, man, you have to come prepared for this shit."

"Okay… I'll go bother someone else… so you can get back to your bookmarks."

"Fine, whatever." He muttered. Crain walked away and everything was silent in the cockpit for a few minutes, but boots approaching him had joker looking up again. Commander Shepard.

"Hey, Joker."

"Sup, Commander? Hey, you might want to track down our little crystar later. He's so bored out of his mind he came to me. Oh, and that extranet joke? Totally resent that." he snapped, giving Shepard a disgruntled look. The man just shrugged and took a seat in the navigation seat.

"Noted. I'll make sure to give a stern talking to the next time someone mentions it." He rolled his eyes, flipping open a book. Joker let him have his peace and quiet. Shepard would sometimes come around and hide in the navigation seat to get away from everyone else. Being a commander took its toll, and tough decisions or aggravating encounters left him in need of a little downtime. Joker could respect that.

It was when the commander wanted to talk that made him uneasy. He didn't always know the best advice to give, or how to react to what he was told. Hell, he wasn't even sure if Shepard wanted advice. Every time he came up to the hull after a tough mission, he seemed to encounter a little side problem. He didn't always want advice, but he normally looked for Joker's output.

Joker didn't know if it was because he was a cripple, or if it was because he just came off as that friendly. He was pretty sure it wasn't the second option.

After a few minutes of silence and glances up at the commander, who was worrying at his lip, he gave up. "Something on your mind, Commander?"

Shepard didn't say anything for a couple of seconds, just looked up with a confused look. "Is it that obvious?"

"Depends on what it is. You're all fidgety lately."

Shepard winced and closed his book. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head slowly. "It's… it's Williams."

"Ah." Joker looked up at the commander and gave him a sympathetic look. He didn't get what exactly was wrong, but… hey.

"She's been getting a little too friendly for my liking lately. I don't know how to say I'm not interested without hurting her feelings, or making her angry. I need her on the team, and I like her. I just don't _like_ her." Okay, joker could respect that.

"Then how about you let her down gently?"

"How, though? Women take things so personally. I try to be nice about it, they get bitter. I try to get it over with, they call me names and leave furious." He set down his book and dragged his hands over his face. "I have too much to deal with already. I don't need this added on."

"Then ignore it. If she brings anything up, tell her you're focused on the mission, and you can't return her feelings." Joker scratched at his beard. "Hell, Williams isn't that bad looking, Commander. If you wanted to, no one would say anything."

"God, Joker, I'm not that kind of Commander!" Shepard laughed humorlessly. "Besides, Ashley isn't anywhere close to my type."

"Lemme guess, Commander Shepard likes the blondes, doesn't he?" the pilot smirked, and for a second Shepard seemed to tense slightly. After a beat, Shepard laughed again, this time with more enthusiasm.

"I guess you could say I do. What about you, Joker? What does the best pilot in the galaxy prefer?"

"An asari dancer and a nice bottle of beer. I don't do relationships. Too messy, ends badly. One minute there's some heavy making out, the next I break a shin trying to take off my pants; sex isn't that appealing when you're gonna break everything trying to get it. Not my thing." He replied, a disgruntled look on his face. "Besides, no one really pays attention to the cripple."

"I don't know, Joker, you're not a bad looking guy. Bet there'd be a lot of people lining up for you down at the bar." Shepard smirked, getting up and taking his book with him. He shot Joker an appreciative glance. "You should come with us on next shore leave, see how many you can pick up. And thanks for the advice, I'll use it."

And with that, Shepard left with a swagger in his step and a casual wave. All Joker could focus on was the look the commander had given him. He chuckled unsteadily as he went back to work, mind racing.

"Poor Williams."

* * *

Read and review, please~! Reviews fuel me. ^_^


	5. Ignorance

Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect; I just added to it.

Note: This world was a bitch to make. Also, this story is planned to be a trilogy.

* * *

~*.*~

It was good to be home again.

Crain was sitting in the navigation chair, staring out the hull. His people didn't have traditional spaceports close to his part of the world, more like a landing pad of sorts. Though they had modernized in the past century or so, they still kept up with nature and natural design. Glittering trees and stones graced the area around the pad. A few crystal formations could be seen in the distance, shining the most. They had to be as large as a krogan, all varying colors and types. Even inside the ship, Crain could feel the pulse of life surrounding him, strongest on this world than any other. The trees and rocks beckoned to him, welcoming him home.

Mother, did he miss home.

"Damn… why is everything so shiny?" Joker whistled, taking off his cap and using it to shield his eyes. Crain just laughed and got out, practically skipping over to the exit.

"Because everything's dusted in crystals!" he exclaimed happily, barely able to contain his excitement. Shepard had promised to make a run here, and Crain was happy that he did.

"Everything? How does it form and integrate?" Liara questioned as she joined them up front. Tali and Garrus made their way over, followed slowly by Ashley. Shepard was nowhere to be seen. Crain stood by casually, fiddling with the edge of his sleeve.

"I'm not sure; I was never one for microbiology. All I know is that the Mother created everything as crystal, in her image. That's the religious reason, if it helps. I'm not sure how to explain _how_ she did it, though." Crain shrugged and laughed a little. "It feels so good to be home already. It feels nice to actually feel the planet."

"Don't we need to worry about being accepted planet side? We didn't really have much contact." Garrus asked, folding his arms. Crain acknowledged that it was a valid question to outsiders, but his people worked differently.

"They know I am a part of the _Normandy's_ crew. That allowed the ship to bypass the stations we have without defensive measures being taken. Now all we need to worry about are the Heretics. They're going to do individual checks of us to make sure we are who we say we are." The blond chewed on his lip delicately. "Warning; you may be used to us being… peaceful. The Heretics are different. Do not antagonize them, please, and be careful what you say around them. Some take offense quickly, and some treat you like dust." Crain shot a swift look at the Williams, who took notice with spite.

"What? Do you think I'm going to cause any trouble?" she ground out. Her dislike of him was only barely held in check. He sighed and shrugged.

"It's no secret you don't like other species, Ashley. The only difference here is that the Heretics will know how you feel, and may perceive you as a threat to the Crystar. Also, it is very likely they will ask you to leave your weapons. The Capitol does not allow violence, and transgressions are dealt with swiftly." He looked over to the doctor, a twinkle in his eyes. "Of course, biotics are welcome. Everyone here is, just mind you don't use it offensively."

"What if we need to defend ourselves? We'll be sitting 'ducks'." Garrus said, and Crain's translator pinged at the last word. What was a duck? He shook his head and gestured his assurance.

"Trust me, the Heretics will keep you safe. They will also, however, be watching. I'm pretty sure that we're one of only two off world ships currently residing on Crysis." He smiled as he heard more boots coming towards them. Only one stride had that much impact on the silence.

"What is Crysis?" Liara asked. "Is that the name of this world?"

"Technically not, but you can't hear the name we gave it. Something in the translators refuses to pick it up." He explained, looking up as Shepard joined them. His ocean blue eyes looked around at everyone before settling on the blond.

"Your sala has granted us free access to the city, Dunavain. Heretics will be meeting us at the check in point, but they're only there for your safety. I've given everyone shore leave for the next couple of days. Apparently, there's some festival going on here in the capitol, and we're grounded." Shepard announced, though his words were a little disgruntled. Crain, however, gasped in surprise.

"Is it already Mother's day?" he asked, looking down at his omnitool and bringing up the calendar. Apparently, time had gone by faster than he had thought. Kaidan walked up just as he said it, shooting the crystar a quizzical glance.

"Mother's Day? Why do I get the feeling that it's not like back home?" he said dryly, leaning up against the wall. Crain practically beamed at the man.

"You celebrate your human mothers; we have no such things. The next few days are a celebration to _the_ Mother, our creator. We give thanks to the love and protection she provides, spreading love over the land. The reason we can't leave until it is over is because every crystar on the planet uses biotics at appointed times. This sends a wave of energy rolling over the surface, up into the sky. The space stations will be moving soon, if they haven't already, to get out of the range. It would be dangerous to leave during those events." Crain bounced on the balls of his feet idly, anxious. "Oh, it's just so wonderful! You'll get to experience everything we have to offer!"

"Goody." Ashley muttered, and Shepard gave him a small smile.

"We'll have to make arrangements as they come. It's the middle of the day right now, apparently. The two suns kind of throws me off on time, so we'll have to stick close to you Crain. Is there anyone that doesn't want to go planet side?" Ashley raised her hand and snapped a salute, returning to the garage. Wrex wasn't present, and Joker outright refused.

"I'm not gonna hobble around during a freaking _festival_ on crutches when they'll be throwing around biotics. Nuh uh, no way Commander. I'll keep the _Normandy_ company." He said snippily. Shepard just sighed and shrugged.

"One of these days, Joker, I'm going to get you out of this ship." He chuckled, looking back to the present crew. Half of them stayed back, either not wanting to go ashore or simply with too much work to do. Crain was happy to escort the rest in a large group.

However, things rarely go as well as he liked.

They exited the ship in a couple of groups, Shepard keeping Kaidan, Crain, Tali and Garrus with him. Liara said she didn't mind going last, still not accustomed to the group to be packed in with them. She seemed too nervous to go ashore, but also too curious to stay on the ship.

Heretics greeted them as they gathered and headed towards the check in point. Shepard seemed to stiffen as they neared the group, his hand hovering over his pistol. Garrus took the same position, and Crain and Tali glanced between them nervously.

The military men thought the Heretics looked dangerous. It was a miracle that Ashley wasn't there with them.

The Heretics had the classic colored eyes, though theirs were varying shades of red, maroon, and crimson. Their faces and necks held tribal markings on them, dimly glowing the same color as their eyes and the highlights of their hair. Most of them had black hair, but a few had ashy grey and one even had blond. Their skin was a pale tint, glowing to a normal human color because their blood was red.

Their eyes followed the movements of the group closer than a turian was even capable of. These were true predators, and they always made Crain shiver when they looked him in the eye. They didn't seem to show any emotion at most encounters.

One Heretic, a young man with black hair, came forward to greet them cautiously. Crain recognized him with relief.

"Sala Dunavain. It is good to see you home again. You have brought guests?" he asked, his dark red eyes glancing at the crew. Crain nodded, smiling up at him. The blond reached out to touch the man's arm affectionately.

"Yes. Sky, this is Commander Shepard of the Alliance Navy, and first human Spectre. Commander Shepard, this is my combat instructor Skylaris Trent." He gestured, introducing the two easily. Sky appraised the commander and nodded, and Shepard gave him a passable nod and regarded him warily. When Sky noticed the man's stance, he smirked casually, darkly.

"Is there something wrong, Commander?" he chuckled lightly, and every Heretic in the area followed suit. Crain flinched before giving the Heretic a cool glare.

"No intimidating guests, Sky. Shepard, we're safe here. You can ease up." He assured the man with worry, touching his arm. He sent out a calming sensation, hoping it would work on the man, but it only seemed to make him slack. His hand still hovered ominously over his weapon. Sky snickered at the attempt, and Crain shot him a dirty look. The Heretic raised his arms up and shook his head.

"Alright, alright. Don't worry Commander, we won't harm anyone, just give you the standard warnings. No weapons on planet, but biotics are allowed. In a situation where you would be a target of violence, you are encouraged to defend yourselves. However, should you start anything, we will intervene swiftly, and you will be asked to leave or remain on your ship for the duration of its stay. Please, be careful during this time, as there are many festivities being held in Mother's Square and around the town. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact-," he explained dully, pausing as he glanced over to Crain. "Well, I guess you can just ask little Lithe over there. He can tell you pretty much anything about the city. If you need something, contact our tourist or social interactions department. Do you have any immediate questions or concerns?"

"I'm a Spectre of the Council, so I think I'll be keeping my weapons. We'll also be needing to acquire supplies while we're here."

"Already taken care of. We have also provided you with supplies meant for a crystar, seeing as you have one on board. Also, Sala Jeordan Dunavain, leader of our Intergalactic affairs and residing leader of the Crystar, has seen to it that you and your crew may stay in the palace during your stay, if you wish. He sends his apologies that he could not meet you here, but asks that you have a pleasant experience on Crysis. As for the weapons, you may carry them on notice that we will be watching. We understand Spectres have privileges; your crew carry no such rights." he recited blandly, then smirked and looked over to Crain. His voice took on a bit a spice. "Where do you think you'll be tonight, Lithe?"

"Probably take them to Auroriana's club. They need some fun and relaxation." Crain blushed at the casual name.

"Excellent; I get off duty at second setting. Meet you there?" he asked casually, smiling at the blond. Crain nodded along happily and shot one back.

"Better bring Vyne; he needs to loosen up too. See you after second setting then." He waved as the Heretics shot a salute and left them. Sky shot him a wink and grazed his hand over Crain's neck. After they had left, Shepard shot the crystar an inquisitive look.

"What's with all the touching?" Tali asked, wringing her hands. Crain deadpanned for a second before he understood.

"Oh… well, we're a very hands on race. We take comfort in contact, and it's not uncommon for strangers to greet each other with a hug. Sky and I know each other well, so we tend to have more contact. There aren't many boundaries on casual contact here." Crain almost flinched before he could get his face under control. "Be warned, you're all no exception; if you like your space, keep as close as possible. We're all a little enthusiastic on Mother's Day."

"Just try to keep close to the group, everyone. We don't want to get lost here." Shepard announced as they started to move towards the city. His voice was a little tense, and his shoulders were rigid. The veins in his arms bulged with effort, and his normally tan knuckles were strained white against his side. If Crain hadn't become so attuned to the man, he wouldn't have noticed anything off. He was a little worried.

As they made their way into the city, Crain paid extra attention to his companions. Tali was obviously nervous, wringing her hands nonstop and stooping a little lower to the ground as she walked. She kept a steady pace by the blonds side, close enough that they bumped every once in a while. Garrus was trying to keep an eye open for Heretics, but Crain could tell he wasn't finding any. Nowhere in the crowds was there that tell tale red. The men were all alert, knowing they were being watched. Kaidan was glancing around, though, less alert than the others.

Shepard looked too wound up, too tight. He gave small reactions to the simplest of encounters, tensing as they passed the crystar on the sidewalks, jumping if one were to brush against him. The man saw enemies everywhere.

"Are the Heretics always so… intimidating?" Kaidan asked after awhile. He and Shepard exchanged glances when they picked up a darker laugh from the crowd behind them. Crain merely glared back, sending out his displeasure.

"Yes. They're also getting on my nerves." He glowered, looking around. "They're not invisible, they're just very well trained in stealth. You're all safe here, as safe as any world can possibly be. Accidents occasionally happen, but they never initiate a fight. Shepard? Are you okay?"

"I don't like the feeling of being watched from afar. Can you tell them to back off a bit?" He replied tightly. He sounded almost anxious. Crain grimaced and nodded when he glanced down at the commander's knuckles again. Still bone white.

"Sky? Please? It would set them at ease if you remained visible and give us some breathing room." He called lightly, and a man and a woman came from the building ahead of them. Both of them had black hair with dark red highlights. Their eyes glowed a dull red. As they approached, the man made a gesture towards Crain.

"Sala Crain. We await your command." He said smoothly, eyeing the rest of the group critically. "We apologize. Most other's don't notice our presence."

Shepard gave a simple nod in response. Crain sighed as they started to the palace with the two Heretics leading them. Shepard's eye's never left the pair as they made their way, and he seemed to be the only one. Kaidan was alright now that he knew where they were, and Garrus only threw them occasional glances. Tali didn't care at all; she was too distracted by the sights and sounds of the crystal city. The blond went over to the man, reaching out and shocking him slightly. Marine blue eyes turned to meet his concerned ones.

"Shepard, please. Trust me." He pleaded quietly, and the man frowned a bit.

"I trust you; I don't trust them."

"And that's why I want you to remember that you trust me. I wouldn't let you come to harm on my own world. We are _safe_." Shepard glanced back to the Heretics, eyes narrowing before he shook his head and sighed. His arms relaxed a little more, loosely hanging from his sides.

"Alright. I'll try to relax." He said. Crain looked up into his eyes and held them.

"Promise?" That got a little laugh out of the Spectre.

"I promise."

"Good!" Crain said brightly, gesturing around them. "Now look at my home!"

Shepard took a moment to observe the city itself, finding himself overwhelmed by such difference in culture. The buildings around him were mostly made of stone, browns and greys of all shades being the dominating colors. If he could compare it to buildings on earth, he would say they looked like small mansions. The stones were all glimmering softly, as if the stones were all packed with glitter. The doors were the same way, though they were obviously made of wood. The glass in the windows were tinted in style similar to the church on Mindoir, turned into a mosaic of sorts. Many of them depicted a woman with white hair in various poses.

The streets were all paved neatly with white stone, and the flowers gracing the sides and gardens of the homes were made entirely of crystal. The stems were partially see through, the petals waving gently in the wind. Most of them looked to be see through reds and blues, with a handful of milky rose colored petals here and there. The trees, up close, were glimmering brightly, casting brown and green colors on the ground. Everything seemed surreal with the colors and soft sunlight. The suns cast blue and orange light causing the sky to be more of an orange and pink color.

It was even more peaceful than Mindoir.

The people were wearing simple clothing, light and airy fabrics with vibrant colors and glittering accessories. They danced in the streets, singing in a tongue his translator couldn't pick up. Couples held hands as they walked along the paths, warm colors paired with cool colors. Some of the eyes Shepard saw puzzled him. Some were white, or clear. One was even black. Children ran around the yards and the open spaces in between the houses, laughing charmingly and using their biotics carefree.

As they entered a market area, Shepard saw large stalls filled to the brim with crystals, food, and various other items. Some entertainers were using their biotics to enact a puppet show, while others danced to musicians in the streets. There was an air of celebration the closer to the palace they got. Shepard turned to Crain, only to notice the crystar staring at him happily.

"So? What do you think of my world?"

"It's… it's beautiful, Crain. I wish everyone had a place like this to grow up in. It reminds me of where I spent my childhood." He said in a subdued voice. Kaidan nodded along and piped up.

"I keep seeing the same woman all over your art and architecture. Who is she? Or am I fishing for an obvious answer?" he asked, gesturing to an artist's stall. There were several paintings of a woman with white gold hair, dancing in a meadow or sitting on a crystal bench. Crain laughed mirthfully, flinging his arms out and dancing a little in time with the music.

"That would be Mother!" he said joyfully. "We all know her well, and today we celebrate her."

"She is beautiful." Liara commented, gazing at the glass hangings they came across. More depictions of the Mother among the other figures. "She is your goddess?"

"She is. She is our Mother, our protector, our mentor. She guides us when we stray from the path, and helps us when we are in need. She loves us, and we love her." Crain paused as they passed a gem stand, the merchant behind it beckoning him forward. "Merlain, how are you?"

"I am well, Sala Dunavain. Interested in any essences this fine second noon?" The elder man asked, spreading his arms over his gems. He was in the last stages of his life; his grey hair had dusty blue tints in them, and his blue eyes were strange to look into, as if they had more dimension then the space allowed. He had fine wrinkles upon his face, along with very prevalent veins. He looked _old_.

It certainly surprised the humans. Shepard couldn't recall ever seeing someone look their age amongst the crystar.

"Well… hm. I see you received some new amethysts?" Crain pondered, gazing down at the gems. Shepard looked down at them along with the blond, staring at the stones. None of them were your average cut of stone. Some of them resembled people, while others were cut into complex shapes and designs. Shepard recognized some statues of a woman, sitting on a bench made from a different crystal.

"How do you cut them all with such precision?" He asked, pointing to the intricate details. The man smiled up at the Commander and picked up a pendant made of dark blue sapphire. It was fashioned in the shape of a wing, with metal reinforcing the crest of the figure.

"Every Crystar has their own individual talents, their own specialty. Mine rests within the ability to create fine mass effect fields, thin enough to cut through most materials. I've honed the skill for centuries, turning raw essences into something beyond nature." He held out the pendant to Shepard. The man took it, rubbing the smooth surface and eyeing it appreciatively. "That particular design is called the Paragon's Star. The asari tend to favor it, but so have your Alliance men and women. It is said to represent good, even in its most difficult forms. I believe that one is a cut of celestite with lapis powder burned into the outer layer."

"You should recognize that one, sir. It's on one of the medals given by the Alliance to war heroes." Kaidan piped up, giving him a look. Shepard nodded, frowning ever so slightly.

"I know, I have it somewhere in a drawer."

"I've seen this one before, too." Garrus pointed towards a glittering red pendant. It was in the shape of a star, though its lower half was separated in two parts from the whole. Merlain nodded his head thoughtfully.

"Also favored by militia, particularly the turians, sometimes the humans. I believe some human militia prefer this over the Paragon. The Renegade Star is said to represent the will to get things done at any cost. Made of garnet, framed in silver. It's the symbol of a rebel." Merlain set forward a few more. "If you appreciate the star collection, I suggest you peruse these."

The next few were of all different kinds, and Crain laughed as Shepard picked up a light pink stone in the shape of a heart. Ribbons of a darker magenta wrapped around it, accented in a light copper wiring.

"That one's called the Paramour's star." Crain giggled, blushing slightly. "It's a design I've seen lovers give each other on their first anniversary."

"Ah." Shepard smirked, putting it back down and looking over the other pendants. Merlain simply smiled and aided other customers while they looked. When Shepard came across a certain display of necklaces, though, he paused. They were intricate metal designs without any jewels or gems placed into the slots. "Hey, what are these? They don't have anything in them."

"Hm? Oh, yes. Those are mating pendants." Merlain said lightly. When Shepard just raised a brow, he laughed and picked up a pad of stones from underneath the counter. In it were stones of almost every conceivable color. "In our culture, there is no such thing as marriage. When you mate with someone, you do so for life. It is a sacred bond placed between the two that can never truly be broken. In our practice, you propose that bond to your ashra with a pendant of both your core color and their core color in it. The intertwining of the gemstones is symbolic, yes?" he paused and raised a finger. Crain smiled as the elder crystar went and retrieved something from his workbench behind the stall. As he came back, he delicately unfolded the cloth in his hands and tilted it to show the group the contents.

Inside rested a finished mating pendant. The silver at the base of the attachment to the necklace was silver, and it melded in the gold at the ends seamlessly. The pendant was in the shape of a small wing, about three inches long and two inches wide, and it seemed to be unusually thick for something worn on the neck. The stones in gold were a dark, glittering yellow ochre, and the stones in the silver were a bright, clear robin's egg blue. In the middle rested a ring of the ochre stones, with a single blue stone in the middle. The entire thing was stunning, and Crain smiled.

"Excellent rendition, as always. I know of only one true blue topaz in the area. Is it meant for Mareline? She and Lamania have been friends for decades." He sighed happily, staring into the patterns woven through the metal feathers. Merlain nodded and covered it back up.

"Indeed. Lamania insisted upon a wing, considering her intended's love of birds and the sky. Their ceremony is to be held in the eyes of Mother in a few cycles time. Are you going to remain for that long?" he asked as he put away the stones and the pendant. Crain shook his head.

"Sadly not. We'll be leaving once it's safe. We didn't know Mother's Day was today." He glanced around, finding the suns in the sky. "Second setting will be in a few hours, yes?"

"Indeed. I assume you'll be with young master Skylaris? He passed minutes before you came." Crain giggled a little and nodded. "Good. The poor soul has been somber ever since you left. It will do him good to spend time with you."

"I'm glad. Well, Shepard, we should probably go see my sala in about an hour or two. Until then, I have business with an old friend. Feel free to wonder, everyone here is friendly. If you get lost, just go towards the Palace. You should be able to see it anywhere you are in the city. Tali and Liara can come with me." Crain grinned lightly, waving as he started to back away. Shepard shot him a confused glance.

"What? Just like that?"

"I told you you're all safe here. Wonder around, shop, and enjoy yourselves. Let go for today. Remember, one hour, meet at the Palace, kay?" he waved again before gesturing to the girls and walking away with them. Kaidan and Garrus just shrugged and started to wander around the stalls. Shepard just sighed and looked over Merlains stock again. He saw simple cut stones in the corner glimmering, and one of them caught his eye.

"How much is that one?"

~*.*~

"I told you it didn't scar that bad. It's barely a glimmer." Crain sighed.

Vyne had been worrying over him since the moment he stepped through the door. When Crain had been told they'd be stopping by his the capital, the scientist had been overjoyed. He had planned on taking time off from the facility to celebrate Mother's Day in the plaza. Crain had taken a moment to bring Liara and Tali to the proper people in the research academy to discuss various topics. Tali had been fascinated by the crystar's manipulation of the Mass Effect fields, enhancing the core with various natural crystals formed on the planet or produced in the labs to improve control and power output. Liara had been introduced to their own prothean experts, and she quickly became focused on the lead of the prothean project.

That was where the little jade crystar had found Crain, and he threw himself at the blonde without a second thought. Next thing he knew, Crain was being examined critically inside of Vyne's own lab. Vyne had removed the blonde's shirt in a quick and precise manner, and had started to probe at the shimmering, violet tinged scar gracing his friend's shoulder.

"A glimmer is still a note of concern. It was bad enough to heal over with your core, Crain. You nearly bled out." Vyne countered in a stressed voice, placing a palm over the remnant of the wound. "I don't want to lose such a gem in my life. Please, be more careful."

"I will. I'm most likely going to avoid simple combat missions from now on, but Shepard still needs my help, Vyne. I can't abandon him. I also _literally_ can't abandon him. The contract still has sway." He shook his head. "It's not like I became my stone. I don't even know how some of the Heretics can deal with that much self-mutilation."

They both shivered delicately.

"If that had been allowed to occur, Sala Dunavain would have… I don't even know. Part of me wants to say he'd lead a war against the humans, but that's something a Heretic would do." Vyne made a face of discomfort at the thought, shaking his head. He handed Crain back his shirt and made his way over to his terminal, typing away at the screen for a few seconds before clicking away at his Omni-tool. "Speaking of your sala, I've just sent you the most recent notes on his condition. He seems to be reacting well to the core treatment we've started doing, and the anomaly in his brain has receded fully. His heart, however, hasn't changed significantly yet. I believe we will be able to remove it in time, but I can't begin to guess how long that might take. A frustrating answer, I know, but it is all I can offer for now."

Crain smiled gratefully. "Thank you. I'm glad he's at least responding to treatment. Keep me updated, my friend."

"I will. Oh, Sky stopped by a little while ago. Apparently I am being taken a hold of at second setting? He would not tell me the reason." The jade crystar went over to turn down the lights and gestured for Crain to follow him out to the lobby. As they settled into some chairs near the edge, Tali came over and waved a hello. She was wringing her hands, but she seemed more excited than nervous.

"Hey Tali, this is my friend Vyne Drajin. Vyne, this is…" he paused and looked up to the quarian

"Tali'Zorah vas Neema nar Rayya, but you may call me Tali. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise, Tali. I have never met a quarian before." He said politely as he looked her over. "I had heard your kind needed biosuits, but I had never actually looked into the purpose. Is it because you live in a colony of ships?"

Vyne and Tali talked for a good while, and the quarian educated him on her people. He was polite and interested on more of a scientific level, but Tali didn't seem to mind. When Liara happened upon them, she listened as well, adding a comment every now and then to the conversation. Crain simply sat back and observed until his Omni-tool alerted him to the time.

"How fascinating. And is that- Oh, is it time for you to see your sala? I hadn't realized that much time had passed." He blushed a little and looked towards Tali. "I didn't mean to keep so much of your time, miss."

"It was no big deal." She waved her hand away and stood, stretching a little. "It was a pleasure to meet you, doctor."

"As it was mine. And you, little amethyst, never told me where I was going this evening."

"Oh, we're taking the crew over to Auroriana's. They looked like they needed a night out. You're being taken there whether you like it or not." The blonde smiled and poked the doctor in the shoulder affectionately. Vyne snorted in response.

"I believe that is part of the definition of kidnap, Crain. Alright, allow me to close down the lab for the evening and I'll see you all there. You have a palace to get to." Vyne pointed at the blonde and gave him a stern look. "Do not let yourself come to harm in the next hour. It would be tragic, and I would shed tears."

"Yes sir, I'll try my very best." Crain laughed. "Be ready to dance when we get there, friend."

Vyne waved as the smaller group left, his attention focused on his friend and the quarian. He sighed as he started fiddling with arrangements on his Omni-tool, his thoughts heavy with his recently found knowledge of the migrant culture. "How sad, not to be able to see into your loved one's soul."

* * *

~*.*~

Crain's sala had been brief and very busy, smiling up at his son and giving them full permission to attend to any business on planet. Though he looked slightly pale, he didn't seem to be worsening. The entire meeting had been quick and efficient, and Shepard had been glad. He didn't want to witness the man have another outburst aimed at his own son. Crain had disappeared briefly, returning with a large and bulky parcel.

After the group had checked in at the palace, they made their way back to the ship to change into their base uniforms. Crain seemed to be the only one interested in actually dressing up, taking his parcel from home and opening it. It was signed from Sky.

The entire ensemble was gorgeous to look at, that was for sure. The long sleeved button down fiber shirt was a dark maroon with dark velvet designs embossed down its right side. The pants were fit to his size, with _slightly_ flaring bottoms. He wore his most comfortable pair of shoes and put on his few accessories, an amethyst armlet and simple rose quartz and ruby studs. He messed with his hair, spiking a biotic charge through it to keep it wild and spiked back slightly. As he looked in his reflection in the small shower room on ship, he smiled. He missed dancing with his people.

As he went back down to the Navigation area, he noticed a healthy group of people waiting around. He saw Garrus talking to Tali, who was ringing her hands at the fringes of the group. Kaidan and Shepard were talking and laughing a little, both in their basic uniform, and surprisingly Joker was grumbling about in the middle too. Some other crew men were hanging around, but Crain couldn't name them. When Shepard glanced up from Alenko, he smiled briefly and waved him over. All the humans were wearing their uniform, and the rest were wearing their normal attire, armor or otherwise.

"Hey, Dunavain, about time. Wow, you look… ready to have fun." Shepard blanked, looking the blond up and down before forcing another smile and looking up. "We were waiting for directions."

Crain gave a light giggle and nodded. "It's not that hard to find. I can lead the way."

As they disembarked the ship for shore, Crain walked beside Shepard and chatted with the man. Shepard seemed keen to talk to the blond, and he kept glancing around and laughing lightly at whatever the blond said. It was nice.

"So, where did you get that get up so soon? It looks great on you."

"Oh, this? Sky had it sent to me in the palace. He knew I'd be around there, and he knows most of my things have been moved back home, so he was gracious enough to give me something to wear tonight." He frowned lightly as he tugged at the sleeve. "It fits a little too well, though. I know Sky is broader than this."

"He bought you an outfit for tonight?" Shepard asked, brow raised. Crain shrugged fiddled with one of his studs.

"I guess so. I'm thankful for the gift, but he didn't have to go to all that trouble." He sighed happily. "It was thoughtful of him, though. He's a good man and a greater friend. I was honestly scared to become friends with Heretics at first, though. I thought they were savages and brutes. Well, I wasn't far off when it comes to combat, but they're still people. Maybe not as peaceful as we are, but people nevertheless.

"We have conflicting views all the time, but after the fuses have died down, we get closer. Sky couldn't stand how I was a few years ago, eager to get out in the galaxy. He said I didn't have enough focus, that I was too innocent, and that I was going to die rather quickly. After a couple of years, I apparently grew on him." He plucked at the hem of shirt, smiling distantly. "There are few I can call true gems in my life, and I'm glad he's one of them."

They both chuckled at the pun, though Shepard's was a little more strained. After a few more minutes, they arrived on a street with people dotted around, admiring the sunset and just enjoying the multiple views. Crain led the group towards a building with darker tones than most of the others. It had a bright neon sign on the front that said 'Auroriana's Club', and there were people waiting happily outside it, being admitted carefully and at a steady pace. Crain stood in line and smiled, moving his hips casually to the music escaping the building. Kaidan gave a small smile.

"With everything we know about your people, I'm surprised you all love clubs like this. I've heard things can get wild down at Flux in the wards." He commented dryly, and Crain laughed, blushing.

"We like to dance and celebrate life. Isn't that a good thing, Lieutenant?" he asked curiously, the violet vortex of his eyes gazing back into the brown, still eyes of the human. Alenko shrugged and moved slightly to the beat.

"It seems like a good idea to me."

"I'm glad we can agree." Crain smiled, listening again to the music. After a few minutes had passed, they were right in front of the entrance as a couple came out, both males, holding each other. Crain looked back happily before doing a double take as some of the crew men gave the couple questioning looks. Shit. He turned sharply to Shepard. "Um, Shepard, I forgot to reinforce something."

"Hm?"

"I forgot to remind your crew that they can dance all they want… but the females here will have _no_ interest in them. At all. And that a lot of males _will_ show interest in them." He glanced nervously back at the crew. "Do you know if anyone might react negatively to the attention or lack thereof?"

Shepard took a minute to think before he whistled for everyone's attention. When he had it, he crossed his arms and frowned slightly. "Guys, please remember that while you are here, you are guests. We are in another culture here, another way of life. I don't know every single one of your home backgrounds, but I need to know now if anyone objects to any flattering attention from other men. If so, I suggest you stay at the bar, unless that might be a problem as well. Speak now or forever hold your peace."

There was some mumbling going around briefly before the commander gave another sharp whistle. "Well?"

The crew stood to attention quickly and said "No sir, Commander Shepard!"

Shepard nodded and broke into a smile. "Good. We're here to celebrate. If you feel uncomfortable, be polite and remove yourself. That's all." He looked to Crain hesitantly. "Right?"

"Yep, that's all I can think of."

"Alright then, let's get going." He motioned as the guard nodded them forwards. Crain jumped around and strode on in, bouncing lightly with the music as his group followed.

The humans blinked as they started down a slight spiral staircase down into a dark area with slow moving rainbow lights, turning slowly into ultraviolet lights as they entered the main dance area. The inside of the building could be matched in size to Flux easily, and there were just as many crystar dancing gracefully to the beat of the music. The deep throbbing and accompanying instrumentals made it a good atmosphere, getting everyone tapping or bouncing along to it in no time. Shepard froze when he took in the appearance of the crystar.

"Wow. That's… colorful." He remarked, eyeing the crowd. Every vein on all exposed skin was glowing under the UV lights, the eyes and face glowing the brightest. From afar, it just looked like they were wearing masks, but the closer ones simply looked pale with something akin to glow paint on their faces. When he looked down at Crain, he was taken aback by the mix of violet and pink glowing off of the blonde's skin. When he smiled, his teeth glowed white against the colorful backdrop.

"We do that." He said simply before he looked over to two people headed their way. A glowing red and a pale green. Sky and Vyne greeted the group politely, and Sky looked over Crain critically, moving around his friend and nodding.

"Eh, it'll have to do, I suppose." He said dully, but his smirk and expression were completely enthusiastic. Sky glanced over briefly to Shepard, giving the man a distant nod before smiling back down at the blond.

The humans split off and headed to the bar or the dance floor, chatting excitedly. Garrus went over to a corner and watched the revelry silently. Tali and Liara simply went over to the lounges in another corner and sat, both fidgeting nervously. That left Shepard and Alenko staring at the small group. Sky brightened as the song changed to something more primal, focusing on the beat more than anything else, and he offered a hand to Crain casually. The crystar let himself be twirled away and back into the Heretic's chest.

"You really do look amazing, though." Sky murmured as they fell into the rhythm easily, pressed close. Crain gave him a playful smirk and batted his chest.

"You would know, you're the one who dressed me." he bit his lip lightly, looking down. "You didn't have to go out and buy me a new outfit."

"Consider it your creation day gift." Sky said, his voice a little thicker. Crain looked up curiously to see some emotion cross over his friend's face, though he couldn't interpret it. His brows met together in worry when Sky continued. "I'm sorry I missed it."

"You didn't miss much. I was off planet."

"I know. And I'm sorry you were alone during it." Red eyes looked down steadily into violet ones, expression lost in the swirling colors. He knew.

"It's alright. There wasn't anything you could have done to stop what happened." Crain assured the man steadily, dancing into him and letting his hands roam. Though the attention seemed to help, Sky still looked a little lost and regretful.

"I should have been with you. I had asked to be your guardian off world… and I was close to getting that permission." He admitted as they moved closer to the crowd, getting lost within the glowing veins of dozens of couples. Crain looked up in alarm, twirling out before twirling back in with a thud. Sky didn't even wince.

"What? Why? I am perfectly capable of handling myself, Sky, you know that." Crain chastised, taking a step back. Sky moved fluidly with him, pressing into the contours of his body and still moving with the beat.

"I don't want you to have to deal with… with the dread. The guilt. I know how different it is for crystar to kill than it is for us. I don't want you to have to experience that pain if it can be helped." He murmured low into the blonde's ears. "I wanted to be there to protect you."

"I… I don't need protection." He mumbled, looking down. He felt embarrassed that the Heretic seemed to think he was too weak to handle that kind of life. Heretics looked down on the weak.

Crain was surprised when Sky tilted his chin up and glared down at him. "I know you can handle yourself. I just wanted to be there so you didn't have to." He looked around worriedly and looked like he would say something else, but then he shook his head and gave a hard smile. "Let's just drop it and dance. You're here to have fun, and I'm just glad I got to see you again."

Crain smiled obliviously, moving easily into the young man again. "I missed you, too. We need to talk every once in a while, yeah?"

"Definitely. I'll try to reach you every now and then, see how you're doing." There was a gap of silence between them as they moved together before the heretic spoke again. "You have been doing well, no?"

"Yes. I've had some new experiences, but nothing too much for me to handle. How about you?"

"Nothing much to tell. Security can be fun, sometimes, especially when pirates or mercenaries come. They never know when to stop. It's almost like hunting." He laughed. His eyes flared red a little at the memories, his grin answering them of its own accord, and Crain shifted uncomfortably in their steps. Sky winced and gave him a look of apology. "Sorry. I forgot."

"It's alright. It's just how you are." He said as he leaned into the young man.

Over by the bar, Shepard was watching the two dance steadily. Kaidan stood by him, drinking a beer and watching the crowd.

"You know, this looks like any other club I've been to. People dancing, having a good time. The only difference is I know it's _different_ for them. They do it for the feel, the beauty. They're not moving like that to get attention, or to get alone with someone later." He said after taking a swig. Shepard held his drink near his lips nonchalantly, shaking his head.

"Some of them are." He muttered as he downed the last of it, shaking himself a little to loosen up. Kaidan raised a brow.

"Oh?" he looked over to Crain and Sky, eyeing the two as they moved around each other gracefully. Joker snorted from his seat at the bar.

"Those two have been going at it for a while now." He smirked. "I didn't think Dunavain could move so _dirty_. It's hilarious. I totally took a ton of photos."

"I don't know what's normal and what's not here, so I can't tell. I'm pretty sure that his friend is looking for more than a dance, though." Shepard said casually, but there was a tense edge to it. Kaidan regarded the commander for a moment before shaking his head and staring back to the crowd.

"You could always go ask for a dance or two."

Shepard looked up at the other man with a shocked look before he composed himself and shaking his head. "Nah, it's not my place to. Besides, Crain's happy. He hasn't been home in a while, apparently, and I'm not gonna barge in on his private life."

They fell into an uncomfortable silence after that, soon followed with Crain's other friend came over from the crowd, flushed in shimmering pale green under the lights. Joker gave him an appraising look as he came to stand in front of the pilot, fidgeting shyly.

"Hello. I am Crain's friend, Vyne? I was wondering if you wished to dance?" He asked sweetly, his head down. He glanced up to find both of the human men wincing, and he bit his lip nervously.

"Yeah… sorry, but I can't dance. Cripple zone." He gestured to his legs. Vyne looked shocked and then mortified, his cheeks flushing his own color.

"I apologize, I didn't know." He bit his lip. Joker just gave him a flat smile and continued drinking. After a few seconds the jade crystar left the two alone, moving to the far side of the room. Kaidan sighed heavily before shooting a glare at the pilot.

"You couldn't have just asked him to stay and chat? Have drinks together?"

Joker snorted and waved his hand. "He's here to dance, I'm here to drink. Honestly, how the hell did you guys get me to come here? I could have sworn someone mentioned asari strippers."

"It's your fault for believing that one; they don't need strippers." Alenko smirked into his bottle as he took a sip. Joker just mumbled something as he shifted delicately. Shepard smiled as he ordered another drink.

"Be glad I'm buying, Joker. We won't be at a decent bar again for a while." Shepard took a swig before looking back down at the pilot. "By the way, what would you have done if you didn't have Vroliks?"

Joker glanced up briefly before gazing back at the doctor, who was swaying to the music slowly and by himself at the edges of the dance floor. He gulped down his drink and shook his head sadly. He looked a little beaten down.

"I would have rocked his world."

* * *

~*.*~

As the crew settled in for the night, Crain decided he'd check up on Joker before retiring for the evening. Vyne hadn't known if he hurt the man's feelings or not, and the jade crystar had seemed legitimately upset at the idea. When he arrived at the cockpit, he found Joker and Kaidan at their posts, checking on the vitals of the ship and filling out reports. As Crain made his presence known, Kaidan moved his head to the side.

"Hey Joker? Are you alright?" Crain asked, his eyes wide with some concern. He didn't believe that the doctor had gotten to the human, but it was safer to check. Joker snorted and shook his head.

"Oh, no! I feel so terrible. However will I move on with my pathetic, meager existence? Please, somebody just end my misery and space me already!" he cried out dramatically, waving his arms around before turning his head back to smirk at the blonde. "I'll live. No biggie."

"Good. For a second there, I was wondering if I should ask Alenko to fulfill your request." Crain replied with a small smile. Joker just waved him off and went back to work. Crain stood there for a moment, admiring the evening view on the camera board of the landing dock. After a few more seconds, he heard Kaidan speak up.

"So…. You and Sky." Kaidan said. The human continued working casually, but he seemed a little lofty. Crain went over and leaned on the back of the copilot's chair, smiling happily.

"What about us?"

"You seem very 'friendly' with him."

"I am." Crain blinked. He was friendly with the Heretic… hence the applied term 'friend'. He blinked a few times before looking over the chair at the biotic man. He shook his head and turned a little towards the crystar.

"In more than a 'friendly' way." Kaidan hinted.

"… I don't follow."

"You were awfully close last night." Kaidan pressed, looking up at the crystar with a brow raised. Crain frowned slightly, looking at the dark haired man with concern.

"Alenko, that tends to happen when two people dance. If you're not touching, it's hardly dancing together. You know, if you don't know how to dance, I'd be happy to teach you." He offered, but the human just sighed and put a hand over his face.

"That's not what I- oh never mind. What I meant is that he seemed to take an interest in you." Crain could feel the human's frustration start to build, so he let loose a calming pheromone to try to get the man to speak more clearly.

"… Again, I don't follow. He's my friend; of course he takes interest in what I do. I have interest in how he lives as well." Crain spelled out, and Kaidan turned in his chair to give him his full attention.

"You really can't see it, can you?" Alenko shook his head. "He stays as close to you as he can, gets tense when anyone gets near you two. He looks at you like you're some wish come true. He seems even touchier than most crystar seem to be. That boy has felt more for you than a simple friendship for years, I'm betting."

"We've known each other for about that long, but I still don't get what I'm not seeing. He and I have fought together; of course that bond goes beyond the norm." Crain said slowly, standing back and crossing his arms. Joker gave a short laugh.

"He wants to be your one and only man, dude. Fall in love, bang a little, make babies, have a happy family together. God, I can't believe how long you held that out, Alenko." Joker piped up from the pilot's chair. At that rather blunt interruption, Crain understood _exactly_ what Kaidan was getting at.

"No! No, Sky and I are just friends. He's my brother in training, but we're not _that_ intimate." Crain stuttered out, gesturing around. Joker just shrugged and spoke up before Kaidan could.

"Those Heretics act more like human gang members than crystar, dude. He was totally into that dance more than you thought. Trust me, he wants to be more than friends." Joker scratched his jaw a bit before looking up at the lieutenant. "Got anything else to add?"

"I was only looking for a back story. I didn't think it wasn't that obvious." The dark haired biotic shrugged. His jaw was set in a frown, though, and Crain just stood there, a little helpless.

"I… I don't understand. Do you really think that he has feelings for me?" He asked nervously. Crain had never thought about how similar Heretics and humans could be.

"My opinion? He wants you. That's all I'm gonna say." Joker piped up. "Just think about it a bit, do something about it, and move on."

So Crain did.

He returned to his room at a quick pace, ignoring the few crew members still awake and working. His head started to ache as he tried to process the new idea of innocence turning to something else. When he finally got to his room, he flumped down on his bed, staring at the metal ceiling. His chest hurt as his heart chimed a little harder than normal against his lungs, and his veins glowed brighter in the relative darkness of the room. Breathing was a little harder than it should have been. Contemplating the connection between humans and the crystar wasn't a big deal for him, but comparing the humans to Heretics was starting to hurt.

Was it the color of their blood that made them so alike? Or was it the violence that could come to them, leaping out when cornered? Their race looked like the humans, of course, but they never truly acted like them. Dancing was a way to celebrate Mother, to enjoy the life she blessed them with. Their strength in biotics came from their connection to the planet, and to the galaxy as a whole. Every moment with a loved one was to be cherished, regardless of relation or status. Could Crain have misinterpreted those moments together with his friend, dancing the night away or training on the field?

He wasn't so sure now whether those moments had been so innocent. After all, he might have danced to celebrate the Mother, but the Heretics did not put so much stock into her. They danced because they felt like dancing, and they liked the primal beating of sound through their very core. And their power was strong enough to burn with whatever drive they felt, anger being a prime excuse. Crain used biotics to defend or to help himself. Sky used them to attack and destroy.

They were very different beings. And Joker was right; the Heretics acted like humans quite often.

So, what if Sky did have more intimate feelings for Crain? How should he react to it all? There was no doubt that Sky was handsome and talented. He had a physically pleasing body, a humbling amount of muscle built up due to his Heretic blood and diet. His features were symmetrical, his personality sharp and playful. He was already showing protective nature towards Crain, and was _more_ than capable of defending him from threats. He could easily plant himself into the role of a guata. He was protective, proactive, and he made the young crystar happy. But was it enough?

…No. Despite how close he felt to the Heretic, Crain could not allow it to blossom. When he saw Sky's face, all he felt was the love of a brother, not a lover. The close contact they had was comfortable, a nice piece of familiarity to have in one's long life. When Crain imagined sleeping in someone's arms, he did not imagine sleeping in Sky's. He couldn't conceive waking up next to the Heretic every day, or eating every meal together. His scent made him feel comfortable, but it brought no passion forward. He couldn't even begin to fathom how he would be able to deal with _children_ that were his and the Heretics.

And looking into those red eyes did nothing to his heart. There was no steadfast stone in a sea of soul that Crain had to hold on to, or be swept away by. He did not see into Sky, and Sky could not truly see into him.

All in all, Crain was one big mess of confusion. A knock on his door startled him out of his thoughts as tear were brought to his eyes.

He got up gracefully from the bed, taking off his armlet and his earrings as he reached the door. He left them on the table before wiping his eyes quickly and shaking himself. The smile came heavily to his lips as he opened the door.

Only to find a somewhat flushed Shepard standing there, looking up and giving the crystar a greeting smile. He was dressed in his uniform still, but he held his hands behind his back.

"Oh! Shepard. I wasn't expecting you. Did you need something?" he asked curiously, leaning against the door frame. His mind flickered over the thought of it shutting on him, but he focused again when the commander looked down, then up again with a sheepish smirk. He was slightly bent over, making the eye level match.

"I actually have something for you. Can I come in?" he asked smoothly, and he looked directly into Crain's eyes, marine orbs gazing up into violet ones. Crain felt his cheeks flush as he nodded and stepped aside, leaning against the wall for support. Shepard made his way slowly into the room, looking around as he kept his back from Crain's view. When Crain shut the door on impulse, Shepard's smile got bigger. Crain eyed him with a suspicious smirk.

"So, what's so secret that I can't see it yet?" Crain asked. Shepard gave him a wide smile again, and Crain's heart thumped a little. _Why does he have to be so adorable?_

"When you left us stranded in the market today, we decided to look around and see what we could. I actually found something that reminded me of you, and I thought you might, um, like it." He coughed, scratching his head slightly. Crain came forward and leaned around, trying to catch a peek.

"Oh? It better be nothing short of amazing, commander." He teased. Shepard chuckled softly and brought a small embroidered box out from behind him. Crain froze a little as he recognized the box. It came from Merlain's shop. Shepard just smiled and held it out.

"I think I did pretty well." He said smoothly, and Crain took it carefully.

When he opened it, his heart skipped a beat and then thudded with a loud _ting_ that filled the room. Inside the box laid a small, simple stone the size of his thumb, attached to a length of fiber cord to become a necklace. There were little swirls carved into it, and the outside of the gem was outlined in small silver wires. The little pendant was nice, but the significance to him was something else entirely.

The stone was colored in layers in the exact way his eyes were. Violet rings grew from the outside in, getting lighter as they moved towards the center. Shades of pink grew from the center to meet the violet, mixing in tendrils and peaks, waving together like two liquids in a bottle. Shepard may not have known it, but anyone that was even partially aware to crystarian culture would have recognized it for what it could have been.

Shepard asking Crain to be his boyfriend.

Many of the blonde's previous suitors had tried to propose such a thing before. They had all gotten the amethyst down to the values within the violet color of his eyes. However, none of them had given any consideration towards the pink mutation in his blood at all. They had either not looked hard enough, or never been told. None of them even bothered to look directly into his eyes and simply observe the soul beneath.

And Shepard had gotten it down in less than a month. In only _one_ time having ever looked into his eyes.

What killed Crain is that the commander didn't even know any of this. All the man knew was that Crain liked gems, and this one matched him. The crystar forced a smile, taking the box and closing it gently. He looked up at a smiling Shepard, who went on talking with the lightest blush on his cheeks.

"I didn't think stones like that actually existed, but when I saw it I thought of you. I thought you'd like it, so… um, yeah." He trailed off after a second, eyeing the crystar. Crain was just staring up at him, eyes a little wide and shining brightly. "Are you ok? Did I do something wrong?"

When Shepard got that little wounded puppy dog look on his face, Crain broke just a little bit. He coughed and smiled again, this time a little more naturally, and opened the box up again. He turned around and took out the fiber cord, shimmering with tiny little crystals as it hit the light, and put it around his neck. After he clasped it in place, he turned back around to see a serious looking Shepard, eyes still worried.

"No, no, I just… no one has ever actually gotten my color's right, that's all. No one's ever taken the time to figure them out." He said neutrally, though even to him it sounded vaguely disappointed. Shepard didn't look convinced and looked down at it with a slight frown.

"If you don't like it, I could-," Crain interrupted him before he could finish, stepping forward and putting his hand over the man's mouth. The heat surprised him as it seemed to sear through his fingers, tingling down his arm. Blue eyes looked down with surprise, then amusement.

"No take backs. You have no idea what this means to me." _Literally_….

Shepard smiled lightly underneath his fingers, reaching up and taking the blonde's hand gently from his mouth. He turned the hand over smoothly and brought it to his lips before letting it fall back.

"I could guess." He chuckled and leaned forward to give the crystar a brief hug. When he released Crain, he backed off and shot him a smirk as he left. "By the way, I call the next dance."

Crain was still blushing hours later and into the night.

* * *

Author's note: College has bombed my calibrations. Forgive me for not updating sooner~! Reviews fuel me, and please, feedback helps meget chapters out faster!

Glimmer= A Scar with a shimmering tone the color of the crystar's core.  
Becoming Stone= Letting scar crystals form and integrate into the body, creating permanent crystal protusions that are very difficult to break. Heretics tend to keep such scars as a marker of strength; the greater the proturion, the more destruction they have survived. There are also certain sects of Crystar and Heretic alike that cause self mutilation in order to become one with stone. This normally shows a sign of status.


End file.
